Shocked and Saddened By Such A Tragedy.

Oh how life can change in the blink of an eye.  The events that have occurred today with Oscar Pistorius being charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, means whether he is found innocent or guilty of such charges (and that is for a court to decide), he will for the rest of his life have to face the consequences of his actions being responsible for the death of his girlfriend.

The reports of events in South Africa have sent shockwaves around not only Pistorius's home nation, but all four corners of the globe. Pistorius has made a monumental contribution to raising the profile of Paralympic sport across the world.  To most he has been seen as a true gentleman and ambassador for his sport, and has proved that disability should not prevent you from achieving your goals by competing in the Olympic Games last year.  The fact is Pistorius is a global superstar in sporting terms. I needed no further proof of this after witnessing him win the Paralympic T44 400 metres title in the Olympic Stadium last September.  The roar that erupted when his name was announced over the tannoy left you in no doubt just how popular an athlete he was amongst fans.

The harsh truth of the matter however is the fact that we all have to separate our opinions and knowledge of Oscar Pistorius, the sportsman, that we as sports fans have known and loved, and focus on the tragic facts that a young lady in her prime has had her life cut short in horrendous circumstances and Pistorius is charged with her murder.

Jim Rome of CBS put it very succinctly on Twitter today. "I don't know what Oscar Pistorius did or didn't do. But I know this: we really don't know any of these guys. And should never think we do".

It can only be hoped, although i have my doubts having seen some media reports today, that Pistorius is tried in a court of law based on the facts of today's tragic events alone.  If he is found guilty of murder, he must face the consequences with a likely custodial sentence.  If he is found innocent of the charges, well as i mentioned before, he will still have to face the tragic consequences of his actions on a daily basis for the rest of his life probably.

For now our hearts should go out the family of Reeva Steenkamp. RIP