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Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
MOSES Tarakinyu is dangling his legs in the warm swimming pool at a Cape Town hotel in South Africa.
He is totally relaxed while scrolling his phone. He deserves the rest.
He has won the Two Oceans Half-Marathon after outsprinting the defending champion Elroy Galant on the finish line 24 hours earlier. His 01:03:31 time is two seconds faster than the South African.
And he is taking some time to recover in the sun while immersing his legs in the water. His father, Trust Elliot, emerges from the gate as he had promised the night before. The two embrace and Elliot breaks down.
For the first time in Tarakinyu’s life, he gets to see his father crying.
But Tarakinyu (27) is collected and still.
“I am a grown-up and I know how to handle these situations. My father stays in South Africa and when I called to inform him that I was in the country to compete in the Two Oceans in April this year, I honestly didn’t think he would show up.
“True to my prediction, he didn’t come. Then he saw me on television winning the race. He called and we arranged to meet,” said Tarakinyu. “It’s been like that for the rest of my life. But I have forgiven my old man. I know things are hard and were hard but I am sure, he should have chipped in somehow to at least save my education…”
The 27-year-old led a nomadic life while growing up in the Masomera Resettlements, located in the fringes of Marondera under Chief Svosve.
His parents Elliot and mother Progress Tarakinyu, who has a disability, separated before the athlete was born. “I was born in Mutoko, then my mother’s family moved to Masomera in Marondera when I was eight-years-old.
“My father’s family also moved to the same area although there is a marked distance between the places either resettled.
“So I grew up under my mother’s family but occasionally moved to my father’s family and at some point I had to stay with my aunt then my maternal grandmother.
“That meant I was constantly transferring from one school to the other and always having to put in extra work to adjust.”
But that wasn’t the only problem for the poor boy.
Despite the fact that he had both his parents, Tarakinyu endured acute hardships.
“While in primary school, I had just one exercise book which I used for all the four subjects we were undertaking at that level. It was rather queer but my class teachers at each level had no choice but to accept me.
“I never had my school fees paid for and when I grew tired of being chased away from school, I decided to drop out.
“That is when, despite my being a wrong candidate since both my parents were alive, BEAM decided to chip in when I was in Grade 7. My mother is disabled and I know there was nothing she could have done to save the situation…”
By then the Black Rhinos Athletics Club athlete never knew he was a talented runner. It was not until he was in Form 2 at Chinatsa Secondary School that he decided to take part in the long-distance races.
He represented the school at Zonal level and came out tops in the 3 000m competition in 2012.
Then his district, provincial, national…
“After emerging as the best at national level, I was supposed to compete in Malawi but the authorities said they needed US$150 and for me and with my situation, that was beyond me and I didn’t travel.
“I never took this sport seriously after all, just like it’s not taken seriously where I grew up.”
His teacher Sydney Shayachimwe was, however, convinced that if Tarakinyu would focus on athletics, he would make it big.
“I just discovered that he would become a good professional athlete when he was still our learner at Chinatsa Secondary School after he won several accolades,” said Chinatsa. “He was a very disciplined and respectful boy and his eagerness to explore new things blew everyone away. So we had to encourage him to put in more work which he did.”
Despite him winning several races while still at school, there were no meaningful financial rewards and Tarakinyu had to embark on a tomato planting project to raise his examination fees.
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His mother, Progress, remembers how she would always be at the fields where Tarakinyu was tending the plants.
“It was very hard raising him. I had to be there for my child,” she said.
“His life was never a bed of roses. Actually, we wouldn’t have been talking about him right now. He was almost killed in a freak scotch-cart accident as he toiled to find himself.
“After the accident we all thought he was dead only for him to be resuscitated at the clinic…”
The scotch cart accident left him with a big scar in the head which Tarakinyu still carries up to this day.
Recalling how Tarakinyu struggled to make ends meet while growing up, his former classmate, Vivian Majeme, said she still wishes him well in life given the circumstances he was raised in.
“Tarakinyu loved running and we all thought he would never excel given his circumstances. He was changing schools constantly.
“Everyone was surprised to hear that he was now in the army (the Zimbabwe National Army) after becoming a professional athlete,” she said.
“We are happy and inspired at the same time. He can now take care of his mother’s needs…”
Besides the Two Oceans triumph, Tarakinyu has won several other races, including the Durban international 10km, and has also done well in the African Games, World Military Cross Country, World Military Games and he is looking forward to qualifying for the Olympic Games as well as World Championships.
Tarakinyu was identified by Black Rhinos coach Shepherd Moyo during a Fun Run at Chitungwiza Town Centre seven years ago.
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