Muroyiwa excels in wheelchair marathon

Muroyiwa, a resident of Bulawayo’s North End suburb, said he was quite happy with his performance considering that he won the marathon on a borrowed wheelchair and he beat fellow Zimbabwean Elford Moyo who is dominant in the wheelchair races in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“I am happy with my performance in South Africa because I went there with a racer wheelchair I had borrowed since I only own a spinner wheelchair which is not allowed in the races.
“Although the wheelchair I used is an old model, I managed to come second and I am happy with my performance as I also beat Harare-based Zimbabwe champion Elford Moyo,” he said.
Muroyiwa came second in 2 hours 19 minutes after fellow Zimbabwean Edmund Makutya who clocked 2 hours 18 minutes.
The race was contested for by five Zimbabweans and three South Africans although this OCC competition which was in its 10th year also boasted of athletes from Ghana, Nigeria, Scotland and Ireland.
Muroyiwa expressed his gratitude to the race director Emma Watson of South Africa who helped with his fares from Johannesburg to the Western Cape.
He is appealing to well-wishers and the corporate sector to sponsor him so that he realises his dreams.
“I believe I can achieve a lot and my aim is the Paralympic Games but this will be very difficult without a sponsor and a trainer. I am therefore appealing for any willing sponsors to help me so that I get funds to buy my own wheelchair and even engage the services of a coach,” he said. 
Although he is a member of the Bulawayo Club of the Disabled (BCD) tennis team, he is the only serious and active wheelchair racer in Bulawayo and he trains on his spinner wheelchair on                   the Airport Road route timing himself on his          watch.
“I train alone gauging my time on my watch and this is a challenging feat that needs one’s discipline since no one will be watching and directing you hence I am desperately looking for sponsors so that I get the proper equipment for training and competitions,” said the soft-spoken 23-year-old.
The wheelchair classes are as follows: T53-T54 for athletes in a  wheelchair who are competing in track events, and classes T55-T58  for athletes who are competing in field events. An athlete who  is classed as T54 is completely functional from the waist up. An athlete who is classed as T53 has restricted movement in their abdominals. An athlete who is classed as either T52 or T51 has restricted movement in their upper            limbs.