Reeva Steenkamp

She was an enthusiast horse rider until she met with an accident in her early twenties. She broke her back and remained bedridden for months. Later she learned to walk again.

Before moving to Johannesburg, she had been involved with an allegedly emotionally abusive boyfriend, with whom she eventually ended her relationship. Then for a brief period of time, she dated Springbok rugby player, Francois Hougaard.

Since November 2012, she was in a relationship with Oscar Pistorius, the famed South African Paralympic and Olympic star. On November 4, 2012, the couple met at a car event through a mutual friend and subsequently started dating.

She was born on August 19, 1983 in Cape Town, South Africa to Barry Steenkamp, a horse trainer, and his second wife, June. She had two older siblings, Adam and Simone.

She moved with her family to Port Elizabeth as a child and began modeling when she was in her teens. She received her early education from St Dominic's Priory School, Port Elizabeth.

After finishing school, she was enrolled in a law course at the University of Port Elizabeth which became a part of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. In 2005, she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree.

She began her modeling career in her teens. At the age of 15, she entered a beauty competition organized by a local newspaper. At the show, she was spotted by the paper's then beauty editor, Barbara Robertson. Later, she moved from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

In 2004, she was among one of the finalists in the Weekend Post Faces of the Future competition. In 2005, she became a finalist in the Herald Miss Port Elizabeth contest.

Later she became a model and cover girl for the FHM magazine. She was the first face of Avon cosmetics in South Africa and also modeled for ‘Sivana Diamonds’, a jewellery company.

Pursuing a career in the glamour industry throughout her teens and 20s, she became one of South Africa's most sought-after models by the early 2000s. She appeared in advertisements of several international brands including ‘Avon Cosmetics’, ‘Toyota’, ‘KFC’, ‘Cardinal Beer’, and ‘Tiger Beer’.

She also served as an ambassador for ‘EVOX Nutrition’. In 2012, she featured as a celebrity contestant on the BBC Lifestyle show ‘Baking Made Easy’.

She was twice named as one of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" by the FHM Magazine. She was ranked #40 in 2011 and #45 in 2012.