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  • Oscar Pistorius
    First milestone: At the young age of 17, Pistorius broke the world record by winning the men's 200 meters at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Controversy: His success was followed by a huge controversy which claimed that Pistorius had an unfair advantage. The researchers found that prosthetic legs need 25 percent less energy to move. To this he replied: "Out of the tens of thousands of prosthetic legs they've made, there's never been any 400-meter athletes run under 50 seconds. So, if this was such a technologically advanced prosthetic leg, then how come not everyone's qualifying, or coming close to the qualification time, then?Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Never say never: Pistorius competes in the men's 400m B race in the IAAF Golden Gala meeting at the Olympic Stadium on 13 July 2007 in Rome.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Gold in Beijing: He won three gold medals - in 100m, 200m and 400m - at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. However, his ultimate goal was to compete in the able-bodied competition.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Honour: Nelson Mandela congratulates Pistorius for winning three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    No less than others: Pistorius finally got the chance to compete with able-bodied sportsmen in the 4x400m relay at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. The South African team won silver.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Glory: A fan cheers Pistorius during the relay in the World Championships in South Korea.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Dream come true: At London 2012, Pistorius became the first double amputee to compete in an able-bodied contest in the Olympics.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Flag-bearer: Pistorius was given the honour of carrying the South African flag at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    Victory: The 27-year-old won two gold medals at the 2012 London Paralympics.Reuters
  • Oscar Pistorius
    The trial: Since February 2013, Pistorius has been banned from all competitions after he admitted to mistakenly killing model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, thinking her to be an intruder. The court found Pistorius not guilty of murder but he has been charged guilty of culpable homicide.Reuters

Oscar Pistorius was once an inspiration to many throughout the globe. During his glory days, the South African Olympian has often given inspirational messages to fans.

"I don't see myself as disabled. There's nothing I can't do that able-bodied athletes can do," the Paralympic gold medalist once said. That was the kind of person he was, before being arrested for his girlfriend's death.

Pistorius was born with fibular hemimelia and his lower limbs were amputated at the age of 11 months. At the age of two, he was given prosthetic legs and he gradually mastered using them. His parents never let disability come in his way.

His father wrote a letter to Pistorius before the operation, which read "a loser isn't the person that gets involved and comes last, but the one who doesn't get involved". This message became a part of his life story.

But since February 2013, Pistorius' has been in the news for the wrong reason - shooting and killing his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. And after months long trial, the verdict came on 11 September 2014 - finding him guilty of culpable homicide.

Let's take a look at the 27-year-old' career.