ZIMBABWE’s top female wheelchair racer, Stellah Jongwe won gold in the T53/54 category at the 2022 edition of the OCC Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge held recently in George, South Africa.
Two other Zimbabwean veteran athletes, Samson Muroyiwa and Ratidzo Tomu, also won gold medals in the 42,2km and 21 km, respectively.
The OCC Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge has been a favourite hunting spot for many Zimbabwean wheelchair athletes.
Jongwe was returning to George for the second time in two years, where she also won a gold medal in the 21 km half marathon.
According to her manager, Humphrey Vambe, she was aiming to do a 42,2km Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge marathon in under three hours.
However, the weather conditions on the race day prevented her from achieving the target time.
“We travelled to George to complete the 42,2km in less than three hours. Stellah had prepared for this race for months, but unfortunately, on race day, the weather decided to rain, and that kind of weather provides many challenges for wheelchair racers,” said Vambe.
“However, she did her best under such conditions and emerged the winner in her category.”
The 21-year-old is currently the top female wheelchair racer and is preparing to compete in races in Europe next year and the USA, including the prestigious Boston Marathon.
Jongwe, however, needs a new and compatible wheelchair that meets international standards.
“We are currently working on international races that will give her the much-needed exposure and confidence. Next year, we will do some wheelchair races in Europe and then Boston Marathon in the United States,” Vambe added.
“The main challenge we have at the moment is getting a racing wheelchair that suits Stellah’s disability, and that chair costs around US$6 000. With the right racing wheelchair, she has the potential to become of the world’s top female wheelchair racers.”
