“My job is to keep on running…” – Oscar Pistorius …. But from what!?

FROM THE BLOCKS TO THE DOCK FOR PISTORIUS

Oscar Pistorius, the South African sprint runner who has double below-knee amputations, has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, model and reality TV star, Reeva Steenkamp. In what has been named a ‘bloody valentine’ incident on February 14 last, Ms Steenkamp was found at Pistorius’ private residence in a gated community in Pretoria. The stunning blonde model was allegedly shot four times and died at the scene. Pistorius was arrested and charged with her death. On the 15 of February he attended court facing charges of premeditated murder. Due to his disability, Pistorius is currently being detained at a Pretoria police station but faces another court date tomorrow, the same day that his girlfriend is to be cremeted.

According to sources, Ms Steenkamp arrived at her boyfriends house to spend Valentines Day with him. However it has been reported by neighbours that shouting could be heard coming from the house throughout the evening. It is thought that the model met her demise at 3am that morning. It is reported that Ms Steenkamp was shot four times and it is also speculated that a bloody cricket bat may have been used in the incident.  The bat has been removed for forensic and DNA analysis. There was no sign of a forced entry despite Mr Pistorius’ defence that this was a valentines surprise gone wrong and that he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder. He denies the charge of murder and is standing by his claim that he believed his house was being targeted by a burglar.  It is also reported that the residence was well known to police with previous incidents of a “domestic nature“ having taken place there.

In another bizarre twist to the story, officers who searched the athletes home allegedly discovered steroids amongst his personal belongings. According to the Sun newspaper, police are examining the possibility that Pistorius shot his girlfriend in a ‘steroid-rage’ – a burst of anger caused by the use of steroids. This is speculative at this point and all will be revealed following the results from blood and DNA tests yet to be carried out.

Oscar Pistorius, the man known as the ‘Blade Runner’ because of the carbon-filler blades on which he runs,  has been stopped in his tracks as he faces his biggest challenge to date. The South African athlete is now being compared to OJ Simpson, the retired American college track athlete and professional football player.

Some would describe Pistorius as the epitome of ‘Triumph over Adversity’ – but just who is Oscar Pistorius?

Oscar was born in 1986 in Johannesburg. He was born with congenital absence of the fibula (fibular hemimelia) in both legs. At the age of 11 months old, both his legs were amputated a little below his knees. In 2003 he was introduced to athletics. It was at this point that he was fitted with the running blades we now associate with him. Hence the nickname of the “Blade Runner” and “the fastest man on no legs”. He competed in both Paralympic competitions as well as able-bodied races. However his prosthetic blades became the subject of great criticism. It was claimed that the blades made him faster and therefore added an unfair advantage to his performance over runners with natural legs. The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) in 2007 banned the use of “any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device”.

Pistorius was monitored with various scientific tests and it was concluded by Professor Dr Peter Bruggemann (Professor of Biomechanics) that Pistorius “has considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs who were tested by us.” As a result of this conclusion the IAAF ruled that the use of such blades made Pistorius ineligible for competitions run by the IAAF.

Pistorius is not one to take rejection lying down and appealed the finding. This time Pistorius was successful in his arguments and the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld his appeal. It was found that the tests and findings previously carried out did not take into account the disadvantages that athletes with prosthetic limbs suffer at the start and acceleration stages of a race. Therefore the path was now open for Oscar to compete in IAAF run events.

Oscar became the first amputee runner to participate at an Olympics Games in London 2012. He ran in the 400 metres where he came second in his heat but didn’t qualify for the final. He was also a member of the 4 x 400 metre relay. He is so well respected and renowned in South Africa that he was chosen to carry the South African flag at both the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games and again at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Paralympics in London.

In the Paralympics in London he competed in the 100 metres, 200 metres,  400 metres and 4 x 100 metres races. He took a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay and won silver in the 200 metres race. He took home his third medal when he won gold in the 400 metres setting a new Paralympic record of 46.68 seconds.

We may not be as familiar with the athlete in this hemisphere as we are with other super athletes such as Usain Bolt, Mo Farah or Michael Phelps, but Oscar Pistorius is a huge celebrity and has many sponsorship deals and endorsements to his name. He has signed massive contracts with Oakley, BT and Nike. He also modelled for Thierry Mugler. Nike has stated that they will wait for further developments in this case before deciding whether or not to continue their deals with Pistorius. In a statement released by Nike, the sports giant said: “We’re not making any comment at this stage other than to say that the incident is a police matter and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.”  In a somewhat strange twist of events Nike were forced to pull an advert with the tagline  “I am the bullet in the chamber” featuring Pistorius in the starting blocks.

What the future holds for the Blade Runner is anyone’s guess. This may well be the end of his athletic career. It has been announced that his agent has cancelled all future races so as to enable Pistorius to concentrate one hundred percent on defending the allegations put towards him. Whether this Valentines Day event gone-wrong was a freak accident or a premeditated murder remains to be seen but Pistorius stands firm in his denial of the charges. In an emotional statement made by Oscars father, Henke Pistorious, Henke stated: “We build people up into heroes, who overcome immense challenges, only to take great glee in breaking them down”. It has also allegedly been reported that a close friend of Oscars told reporters that Oscar called him around 4am the morning of the incident saying that there had been an awful accident and that he had shot Reeva. If found guilty he would face at least 25 years in prison.

However it is believed that this is not the first time that the runner has spent time behind bars. In 2009 he was arrested and spent a night in prison for allegedly assaulting a 19 year old girl. Pistorius was hosting a party in his home when he requested the girl to leave. After she refused to do so Pistorius supposedly slammed the front door on her. The charges were later dropped however.

In a reality TV show called ‘Tropika Island of Treasure’ screened in South Africa this week on SABC1, only days after the models tragic death, Reeva Steenkamp is seen competing against other South African celebrities in a bid to win a 1 million Rand prize. The piece is made even sadder and emotional by this quote from the model: “The way that you go out and you make your exit are so important. You’ve either made an impact in a positive way or a negative way. I’m going to miss you all so much. I love you very, very much.”

Where this tragic story goes from here is unknown but it is a case that is going to be full of revelations and will keep us all engrossed for the foreseeable future. It is a terribly sad situation for all involved and I hope that the truth prevails and that justice is done. Rest In Peace Reeva.

HATS, FLAGS OR HEADBANDS? – But should it be the players who are flogging them?

What is it about the GAA that we love so much? Is it the sense of community spirit it creates that you can only share with fellow County comrades? Is it the fun and banter that you experience with rival County supporters in the stands? Is it the spray-painting of the sheep, the flags, the bunting, the headbands, the hats, the tea and sandwiches or just the feeling of being at home surrounded and proud to be out representing your County?

Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up near Pairc Dubhghlas de hIde in Roscommon that instilled in me, from a very young age, the joys of cheering on the local lads from the stand. I have so many fond memories of being in Hyde Park and at various other GAA pitches across the country. The best summers were filled with these Sunday outings. Without doubt, one of the best feelings in the world has to be standing in Croke Park belting out our National Anthem on All-Ireland  Final day. Nothing makes me feel more patrotic. I love it!

The dedication that players, both club and County, give to their sport is admirable and painstaking. These guys train no fewer than three times a week with matches at weekends. For many of them, they have to commute long distances to train, sacrificing their personal time and social lives. And on top of all this, unlike the professional rugby and soccer players, our GAA lads hold down full-time jobs, many as teachers, Gardai, bankers etc.

It would be easy to see why many would not be so committed to the game, as I often wonder what thanks they get in return. But the Irish blood running through our veins means that we are traditionalists at heart and want to keep our culture alive. The foundation of the GAA in 1884 changed the face of Irish sport forever and it is only improving and modernising with each blow of the final whistle. We are a proud nation and the proof of our strength is evident in Croke Park – a true testament to our country and to the amateur status of the Gaelic Athletic Association. Ni neart go cur le cheile! (There is no strength without unity)

    

But one thing that troubles me is when I question the younger generations, the primary and secondary students, about their idols, the response is always the same:- Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Mario Balotteli and David Beckham.

     

It is very rarely someone like Sean Cavanagh, Alan Dillon, Karl Lacey, Colm Cooper or Stephen Cluxton and these are the very men that they should be aspiring to be like – hard working decent lads who work full-time jobs yet manage to balance their sporting lives with their personal ones. There are no illicit newspaper spreads detailing the latest fling with a cheap lady-of-the-night (and I can bet they are not that cheap!) there are no seedy kiss ‘n tells, there are no flash cars and grand displays of riches favoured by many of the professional Premiership footballers.

       

What is it about the professional soccer and rugby players that the youth find so appealing? Easy peesy– the glamorous lifestyles and the wealth that is associated with them.

  

These guys lead the lives that most of us can only dream of with limitless funds to buy multi-million-Euro mansions. Fancy driving a Bentley or Aston Martin?  Done! Want to wear D&G, Gucci, Tom Ford, DVF or whatever designer is hot at the moment? Done! Oh and always with an attractive girl on your arm. We are inundated with pictures of Mario Balotelli splashing out on new cars, Cristiano Ronaldo decked out in designer gear and stunning WAGS (Alex Curran and Coleen Rooney do love Cricket in Liverpool y’know!)splurging in all the chicest stores.

Just to set the record straight, I am not advocating the transition of the amateur status of the GAA to a professional one. No siree! But I do think that the GAA sector needs a boost, an injection of glamour in order to continue to entice our youths into it. Without having to pay salaries or bonuses, the use of product endorsements could be utilised more. This is an extremely lucrative business for both the individual player and the brand in question.

Seeing David Beckham advertising everything from Armani underwear (Swoon! Yes please…)to Pepsi (with global Goddesses Beyonce and J-Lo) does absolute wonders for the brand, the individual and ultimately, the sport. (Maybe it’s just me but Ronan O’Gara fronting a Newbridge Jewellery campaign did him no harm!)

Now I’m not saying we need to stick Colm Cooper in an advert with Katy Perry but getting these GAA players more heavily involved in the advertising/endorsement game cannot be detrimental and will make them recognisable in each and every home cross the 32 counties. We know the name so lets get to know the face! If we recognise a face we are more likely to take note of them and look out for them in subsequent games. Let the public know the players personality a little.

GAA stars appearing in advertising campaigns is not a completely foreign concept; Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper appeared in Lucozade adverts as did Westmeaths Dessie Dolan; Adidas have Corks Sean Og O’Hailpin, Tipperarys Eoin Kelly and Kilkennys Henry Shefflin on their books;  Dublin’s Bernard Brogans face was emblazoned on a double-decker bus promoting o2. It’s an industry waiting to be exploited. Conor Ridge, a partner in Horizon Sports management which looks after athletes Derval O’Rourke and David Gillick, feels the landscape between the GAA player and the commercial world is changing and says “the day when a GAA player can earn €100,000 through commercial activity is not that far away at all”.

    

One player who has done wonders for the glamorisation of the sport (even if he is renowned for some dirty trickery on the pitch) is Paul Galvin. As a player I detested Galvin because any of my dealings with the man resulted in me leaving a stadium in floods of tears as Kerry, yet again, stormed forward to reclaim Sam (Maguire that is!) However in recent months I have softened towards the sportsman and now find myself religiously reading his style-bible in the Irish Independent Weekend supplement and following him on Twitter. His fashion column is witty and informative and if you haven’t read it its worth a look – it’s rather funny.

The Kerry style-guru was also voted third in February 2012, to find Ireland’s most desirable Valentines. He has made GAA fashionable and recently announced that he was dating Today FM presenter Louise Duffy.

So what do the GAA need to do in order to increase their popularity and to raise their revenue…glamorise the sport. One way of doing this is to exploit the good looks of some of their main men and to cash in on their high-profile marketability. Get some product endorsements in place.

If these faces become household faces and not only associated with on-pitch playing but also with a more diverse, fun and glam lifestyle, younger kids might start to turn from the Wayne Rooneys of this world to the Sean Og O’Hailpin and Stephen Cluxtons for inspiration. These guys work hard and play hard. Great role models for the younger generations.  (Plus some of them are handsome devils whom I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more of on my telly-box!)