The rise of Bulawayo’s Chirimuta

OVER the years women have shown that it is possible to excel in both physical and creative pursuits.

Serena Williams, known primarily for her incredible tennis career, has also ventured into fashion design and acting.

Her influence extends beyond the court, making her a multifaceted talent.

Monica Kim Garza, an artist whose work often features athletic women in dynamic poses. Her paintings celebrate the strength and beauty of the female form, often depicting women in sports settings.

Allyson Felix, a decorated track and field athlete, has also made her mark as an advocate for maternal health and women’s rights. She uses her platform to inspire and create change.

Megan Thee Stallion, while primarily known as a rapper, is also passionate about fitness and often shares her workout routines with fans. She embodies the blend of physical strength and artistic talent.

So does Anesu “Sue” Chirimuta, a passionate 20-year-old Christian, athlete and artiste raised in Bulawayo.

“My passion and interests span from the sporting world to that of the media, arts and entertainment sector. I love travelling, running, reading, being with loved ones, but there’s no feeling compared to the one that comes with playing sports,” said Chirimuta.

Chirimuta specialises in field hockey and is also a track and field athlete.

She has excelled mainly in the 100m, 200m and 400m hurdles events.

Chirimuta started being serious about hockey last year, although she had started playing hockey at Petra College Junior, where she made her first appearance in the Matabeleland Provincial hockey team. From Primary Level to Advanced Level, she participated and competed in hockey, track and field, netball, basketball, swimming, water-polo, tennis and dabbled her foot in the waters of cricket at some point too.

“Hockey has always been my heart’s passion and the love I had for it only grew, with great coaches around me like Ms Nel, Mrs Burgess and the inspiration which came from great players like Tatenda and Mutsa Kanyagarara and Amber Tozana, Khanyisile Mzizi among others,” she said.

Chirimuta was part of the Bulawayo Hockey Club which was number one in the 2024 Inter-Cities League.

With the club she has managed to play against Swaziland in a warm-up game played last month, in the Central Southern African Qualifier for ACN 2025.

“Though I didn’t make the national hockey squad this year, it was a great experience being in the bigger competitions, ones I hope to represent my country in.

“From captaining my first Matabeleland (B) Provincial Squad in my final year of high school in 2022, to more recently where I made it into the Matabeleland Women’s Hockey Squad this year, placing second runners up at the 2023 Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Cup, have been my greatest achievements in hockey,” she said.

In April, Chirimuta joined House of Champions Sports Club and with the help of her mentors Presley Mabhena and Denith Majecha, she started working towards her goal of being a professional track athlete.

“Being an athlete is a lifestyle and like any other sport, is a discipline in its own regard, from the runs in the morning to running on the track till evening, gym in between, watching what you eat, paying attention to minute movements, and even how you use your energy on a daily basis, it all added up to where I am today.

“What we were able to accomplish as a team, a blessed beginning in my opinion. The work paid off, I went on tour to Pretoria, South Africa on May 18 this year to compete in the Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) League Series winning bronze in my 100m heat and coming fourth in my 100m hurdles race,” said Chirimutsa.

She made it into the Provincial Athletics team, where she won gold in the 400m hurdle race and emerged fourth in long jump.

“I qualified to compete at the Zimbabwe National Athletics Championships which took place on June 11, where I ended up being a part of the top eight fastest athletes in my event. It’s only been a few months and yes of course there’s still much to be done. But I’m grateful for what I’ve achieved so far,” said Chirimuta.

In the arts industry, Chirimuta, is an up-and-coming poet, presenter and creative artiste.

“My love for creating goes beyond words on a paper. It spans through dance, singing and even making music. I’m more than invested in seeing how those worlds can collide and bring something new, fun, and energetic to the scene.

“I also had the absolute pleasure and blessing to work with the talented Scott Mutasa (CozyScott) on my first debut visual poetry project titled The Best I’ve Ever Had in November 2023. It received good traction. I’m so excited and keen to work on more art collaborations,” she said.

Chirimuta fell in love with poetry in 2016 when she first started writing, the rhyme schemes, alliteration, the diction, a form of expression that helps convey a message across with so much poise. She is aiming for the big screen.

“I’m sure my younger self who won multiple literary prizes and started writing poetry in Grade Seven, would be proud of where I am and where I’m headed. It’s never been a one man show, the people that encourage me to keep going, the people that connect me with other people and the people who pray for me I’m forever grateful,” she said.

Chirimuta aims at acquiring a degree in Sports Science or Physiotherapy.

“After getting my degree my wish is to give back to the community and the next generation of greats. I want to represent Zimbabwe in the respective sporting events I participate in and in the arts, music and entertainment sector. I want to create and explore more, whether that’s being on screen, making music, to being a voice over artiste, and even using poetry within different industries,” she said.