The many faces of Mapaya!

Tinashe Kusema

CHENGETAYI Mapaya is a man or rather a creature of simple habits.

Rather than indulge in the lavish lifestyle the United States has to offer to a vibrant and academically gifted twenty-something; the young man spends most of his time either in the gym, on his gaming console or with a good book.

That, in a nutshell, is how the Zimbabwe track and field star spends his free time in the US, where he is currently on an athletics scholarship at the Texas Christian College.

Once on the track, Mapaya goes by the moniker “Du” and is currently one of the fastest rising triple jumpers in the world.

“It’s a tough life out here and I’m usually too busy to have a social life, so I spend most of my time either playing video games, sleeping or reading books.

“I do the occasion partying here and there, with my friends, but other than that, I live a very simple life,” he said.

In as far as the moniker is concerned, “My nickname is Du, as in do things.

“It’s a mantra of mine and is my social media handle (DU-Tings).

“The nickname has its roots from my high school days in Zimbabwe where my schoolmates would scream ‘Du’ every time I took my jumps,” he said.

In a sense, the moniker allows him to tap into his inner strength.

“Most people believe that I’m into triple Jump solely because I am good at it, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Before, triple jump was mostly an escape, or a means to an end.

‘I realized, early on, that if I was to proceed to university and get quality education, I had to get a scholarship and triple jump was the best route.

“Now, I jump for everyone who has supported me from the very beginning and many others who joined in the journey.

“I do it for them,” said the former St Johns College student.

While the moniker is yet to catch on, Mapaya’s exploits in the US have.

Only recently, the TCU sophomore broke the school’s men’s outdoor triple jump record at a meet in North Carolina last weekend.

Mapaya jumped a wind-legal 16.64m (54-7.25), breaking the 16.57m (54-4.5) mark set by Scotty Newton at last year’s National Relay Championships.

But, this latest milestone means very little to a man who holds numerous other records in Zimbabwe, Africa and the United States.

These include record jumps at Under 16, 17 and a national record.

This on top of the TCU Indoor (16.83m) and an African Junior record that stands at 16.30 meters.

Instead, Mapaya dreams of making a global mark.

“At the moment, my plan is to qualify for the World Championships and next year’s Olympics in Japan.

“I want to make a global mark and show the world there is talent in Zimbabwe,” he said.