Elliot Mujaji academy flourishes

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
FORMER Paralympic sprinter Eliot Mujaji established an athletics academy in his hometown of Zvishavane with the aim of producing runners that can compete at the highest international level, including the Olympics.

Chronicle Sport caught up with the 2000 Paralympic gold medalist at the recent Econet Victoria Falls Marathon where he had accompanied one of his athletes Tinashe Mapfumo, who ran the 42,2km race.

Mujaji (50) is a T46 athlete and won Zimbabwe’s first Paralympic Gold medal at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia

He is now a Level 2 coach at his academy, which he established in 2019 and has 15 athletes comprising sprinters, long distance runners and those with disabilities.

“I started Elite Athletics Academy in 2019 and I have 15 athletes.

My dream is to produce athletes that can compete at the highest level like the Olympics.

I have gone to that level and I need athletes from my place, Zvishavane, to have that kind of feel of representing the country,” he said.

Mujaji said he wants to identify talent from disadvantaged communities and produce the best out of them.

“I used to work with long distance runners like Wirimayi Zhuwawo, Kudakwashe Shoko and some field athletes and with that bit of experience, I know that I’m doing things that I know.

I think I know how to help them reach the highest level.”

Mujaji participated in the 7,5km Fun Run at the Victoria Falls Marathon and said he made the decision to keep fit and motivate Mapfumo, who joined the academy early this year.

He said Mapfumo started running marathons in 2019 but had stopped because he had no-one to train or inspire him.
Mujaji identified Mapfumo in rural Zvishavane and started training him.

He finished 22nd in the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon.

“When I met him a few months ago I decided to bring him to my place and to help him. I have been training him for about a month now,” said Mujaji.

He said the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon is the country’s best marathon because of how it is organised and the number of participants. — @ncubeleon