Oscar Pistorius has just ever wanted to be regarded as equal, as powerful and capable as any other 27-yearold guy. The philosophy Pistorius was raised to have was epitomized by one of his favourite anecdotes: When he was a little boy, his mother was helping him and his older brother get ready to go outside and play. "You put your shoes on," she said to Pistorius' brother, "and you" -- to Oscar -- "place your legs on. And that's the last I would like to hear of it." How interesting, then, to watch as Pistorius, on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has shown none cheap Mens Nike Air Jordan New Sytle.f that quiet, dignified strength in court: Here he is broken and pitiful, weeping so hard he heaves, declined over with head in hands, repeatedly vomiting into a bucket left by his side. His displays led to one report -- denied by his team -- that Pistorius had taken acting lessons. A verdict is expected next month; the prosecution and defense will present their closing arguments starting Aug. 7. The Pistorius trial, with its brew of sex, celebrity, violence and class, is the OJ trial for the 21st century; in South Africa, two channels are dedicated completely to its coverage. Pistorius faces up to 25 years if convicted of homicide, and his narrative -- Reeva was shot by him, but it was all an injury -- has, to reporters and most observers, been less. "The judge has to believe Oscar has taken her into his assurance. The Judge's done the precise opposite, and I believe he'll live to regret that." Pushed to succeed Oscar Pistorius was born on Nov. 22, 1986, in Johannesburg, South Africa, the center of three kids. Pistorius had a congenital defect called fibular hemimelia -- the insufficient fibula bones -- resulting in a double amputation below the knee when he was only 11 months old. The doctors pushed to be done so that Oscar could not understand what life was like otherwise. According to the complete forensic mental report ordered by the judge in this case -- a copy of which was leaked to South Africa's City Press -- his parents responded differently: His dad, Henke, was angry that the abnormality had not been found while the infant was still in the uterus, while his mom, Sheila, was saddened. She rallied rapidly, decided to raise a competent, independent son. The celebrity By the time Pistorius met with South African model and reality-TV star Reeva Steenkamp in November 2012, he was a national hero and an international icon. He had just compete see it here. in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and though he did not win a medal, he'd been the first double amputee ever to compete, running on a pair of carbon fiber prosthetics. "I woke up in a joyful, safe house this morning," Steenkamp tweeted on Feb. 9, 2013, five days before her departure. "Not everyone did. Speak out against the rape of individuals." Steenkamp and Pistorius were South Africa's premier glamour couple. His endorsements with businesses including Nike, Oakley and Thierry Mugler made Pistorius $2 million a year. The most recent Nike campaign featured stop motion pictures of Pistorius sprinting with the tagline: "I am the bullet in the chamber." Pistorius was proud that it was posted by him on his website. Not everyone in Steenkamp's life was impressed with her new boyfriend. Cecil Myers, a second father to Steenkamp, told the Telegraph that Pistorius was "very dark." Steenkamp stayed with Myers' family when she was in Johannesburg, and Cecil said that after their first date, Pistorius became obsessed. "[He] would not leave her alone," Myers said. "He kept pestering [he], telephoning and phoning and phoning her. Such behaviour was not unprecedented Pistorius had a history of impulsive, aggressive, self destructive behaviour. In March 2009, his speedboat smashed on the Vaal River into a pier; he was airlifted to the hospital. Individuals broke several ribs, his jaw, and an eye socket. His nasal cavity was shattered, skin sheared his nose off. The extensive facial reconstruction Pistorius got left him. Pistorius promised he had simply had the bad luck to hit a pier that was concealed. "Individuals were not going too quickly, probably no more than 18 mph," he told the Mirror. The South African newspaper Beeld reported that policemen discovered empty bottles of alcohol but Pistorius' blood was not tested. 