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Raymond Jaravaza
WHAT started off as a means to defend himself against bullies in the dusty streets of Mkoba in Gweru soon became a hobby, then a career that ultimately changed the face of bodybuilding in the country.
Veteran wheelchair bodybuilder Marko Mwale (54) was diagnosed with poliomyelitis a�� an infectious disease that causes muscle weakness to the legs a�� at a tender of two years. He endured a difficult upbringing because of this condition.
Growing up in the village of Lalapanzi, in the Midlands, Mwale knew from a young age that he was different from other children because his condition did not allow for the kind of mobility enjoyed by his peers.
Moving to Gweru town to start school exposed him to scrutiny by total strangers. Sometimes he had to endure all sorts of unsubstantiated theories such as witchcraft being the cause of his condition.
Running away from his tormentors was not an option as the young Mwale found a way of defending himself.
At 12 years old, inspired by action movie stars of the time with slabs of muscle and muscular underbellies, the young Mwale found solace in lifting weights in a local gym in Mkoba suburb.
a�?I got to understand in my early teens that my condition had nothing to do with witchcraft but unfortunately that was not enough to stop the bullying so I had to find means to defend myself since running away from my tormentors was not an option.
a�?I had to get an edge over them so I started lifting weights at a local gym. In no time I had built muscles on my upper body. I guess the change in physique gained me respect from the boys as they stopped labelling me a weakling,a�? said Mwale in an interview with B-Metro Sport at his gym in Iminyela suburb.
In 1993 Mwale moved to Bulawayo and joined a gym at Iminyela Municipal Hall where he trained with able bodied athletes.
a�?The sad thing is that as a disabled bodybuilder I only trained to keep fit but could not compete because there were no categories for wheelchair bodybuilders at provincial and national level. I sought to change that when I was elected secretary general of the Matabeleland Amateur Bodybuilding and Weightlifting Association in 1996 but there was still a lot of resistance at that time.
a�?I think the leaders at that time were the old school type that didna��t understand that wheelchair bodybuilders were competing internationally,a�? he said.
It was in 2012 in the Muscle Mania contest in Harare that wheelchair bodybuilders were allowed to compete.
The father of five still has vivid memories of his first competition.
a�?I was ecstatic, it was just five of us competing in the wheelchair category but we wanted to prove to the world that we were in the contest to compete and not just to make up numbers. That contest changed the face of bodybuilding for disabled athletes and we have never looked back,a�? he added.
Mwale won the wheelchair category in the recently held Mr and Ms Zimbabwe contest held in Harare and will represent the country in the 2017 Arnold Classics South Africa.
The 54-year-old makes a living by selling detergents and soaps at his home in Iminyela. .
Bongani Ndlovu