daniel chigunwe
Innocent Kurira
STAR wheelchair athlete Stella Jongwe is reaping the rewards of her hard work after romping to victory in the PPC Matopos 33 Miler at the weekend.
Jongwe was first to the finishing line in a time of one hour 26 minutes and 58 seconds in the 21km segment of the competition.
In second place was Thandiwe Ndlovu, who clocked one hour 35 minutes, 55 seconds.
Jongwe is elated with her victory.
For her efforts she received US$1 500 as prizemoney.
“I really enjoyed participating in this competition. Gruelling as it was, the race was an awesome experience. I am grateful to the sponsors of the event for their support of athletics and the packages that were in place. I feel the prize money is good enough to motivate even more people to take up athletics and also help some of us earn a living,” said Jongwe.
The 23-year-old says she dreams of participating in the Olympics.
“From here, l have to continue working hard in anticipation of future events. I have to put in the work till l achieve my dream of participating at the Olympics,” said Jongwe.
Born with phocomelia, Jongwe has defied misconceptions about disability to make a name for herself in the sport.
Jongwe wrote her first sporting success story in 2020 when she scooped gold at the Outeniqua Chair Challenge held in South Africa, the same year she won her first CBZ Marathon women’s wheelchair race.
She was also a bronze medalist at the African parabadminton championships held in Uganda in 2019.
Last year she won gold at the Victoria Falls Marathon, Tanganda Marathon and was first at the Outeniqua Wheelchair Challenge in South Africa.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda