From herding cattle to the Olympics

Olympic debutants in Team Zimbabwe for the 2012 London Olympic Games and alongside fellow long-distance runner Cutbert Nyasango is looking at nothing short of a medal at the Games.
“My dream has finally been fulfilled because I have always wished to be at the Olympics and hear the Zimbabwe national anthem being played with everyone silent.
“I want a better CV when I retire and if there are no disappointments I want to be in the top 10. If the Lord guides me I will bring a medal back home to Zimbabwe nekuti ndiri kuda kuenda panyanga chaipo (I want to be among the best three),” said Juwawo who will take part in the men’s marathon with Nyasango at the London Games on August 12.
“I am going to carry Zvishavane on my shoulders and Zimbabwe ndinenge ndakaibereka kumusana. I want to be known in the world and at the same time putting Zimbabwe on the world’s sporting map,” boasted the athlete who started his career at primary school level when he was a pupil at St Joseph before moving to Vengere High in Rusape for his O’ Levels.
Juwawo has been training alone in the De Beer Resettlement area in Mhondongori (Zvishavane) where there is no network or television.
The area is very remote.
“I’ve been training in a remote area and during my training I was only meeting animals especially goats, cattle and donkeys and the only vehicle in that area was my car.
“I did not want entertainment at all and I was also running away from the media because I wanted to concentrate (on my training).
“I am now finishing my training in Harare with Cutbert (Nyasango),” said the 31-year-old Juwawo who joined Shabanie Athletics Club in 2000 from Willowvale. He was a star in the 1500m event before switching to middle and long-distance running.
He has won several regional accolades and has an assortment of medals.
“National anthem yakapotsa yaridzwa when I came 6th in All-Africa Games in 2007 in Algeria and that was a big achievement for me to be among the top 10 in the continent,” said Juwawo. His biggest disappointment was missing the World Championship at Daegu in South Korea last year after he failed to meet the IAAF qualifying standards after participating in a race in China that was not considered for this big international event.
In that race Juwawo came third behind an Ethiopian and a Kenyan.
He was to take part in the Czech Republic this year in the Vax Pragon Prac Marathon where he settled for seventh place in a race that was won by an Ethiopian with the Kenyans occupying the next five three positions.
Juwawo ran a time of 2:14.30 in that race. He has been working very hard and had been overlooked on several occasions.
His wife Qondi and two sons — Clifford (8) and Watford (3) — will be cheering their father as arm chair viewers. He will leave the country together with Nyasango on August 5 for the biggest global sporting showpiece.