Oscar Pistorius has plummeted from grace in the course of a week, making it difficult to believe he was brimming with pride and promise barely six months ago.
"Never in my wildest dreams could I expect to be so blessed and I've got so many people to thank," the South African athlete, who has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, told E! News during the London Olympics last summer.
Pistorius, who was born without fibulas in both legs and became a Paralympic champion before being allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, said that he had been receiving thousands of supportive tweets from all over the world.
"You stand out on the track and people see athletes and their performances and don't realize, I've got maybe 15 people just in my group of coaches and maybe, you know, dieticians and body conditioners, gym instructors and my professional management," he mused. "Without one of those people I wouldn't be able to perform...Because of them I've been able to fulfill my dream."
"I've just so many people to thank and so much to be grateful for," Pistorius added, his humble yet happy demeanor not betraying one shred of an indication, even in hindsight, that his personal life would ever be touched by scandal.
"To be in this position and to have that opportunity to represent my country in the Olympic Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said.