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The Herald, October 25, 1979
AFTER 21 years of cycling, Rio Tinto’s Samson Moyo (43) is still the undisputed “King of the Road” in Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
Moyo is one of the finalists for the 1979 Sportsman of the Year award mainly because of his achievements in the South African Veterans’ championships, but going deeper into his track record one discovers a unique personality whose sportsmanship is outstanding.
Cool and composed when he relaxes to talk, it is difficult to imagine Moyo being one of the few local riders who can race a train from Salisbury to Gatooma and win by an hour.
That’s an uphill journey of 140 km but to Moyo, it is an ideal opportunity for road racing practice.
“It takes the train nearly three hours to reach Gatooma from Salisbury but Moyo covers the distance in just over two hours,” Rio Tinto sports administration supervisor John Rugg said.
Moyo is a dedicated sportsman who takes the bitter and sweet moments of his career in one smooth stride through his charming sense of humour.
He can hold you spellbound when he talks about his first overseas trip to the world veterans’ championships in Austria earlier this year. When he arrived in Hardburg, a small town outside Vienna, Moyo was mobbed by the locals who had never seen a black person.
“I was treated like a movie star,” Moyo said. He shared a hotel room with South African Eddie King.
“There were so many people clamouring to shake hands with me and asking me to sign autographs that I was overwhelmed. At one stage, King suggested locking me in a room and asking the locals to pay for the honour of seeing me. It was quite an experience,” Moyo said.
At another town, Moyo was surprised when he noticed two German-speaking gentlemen exchanging bets as he prepared for a training ride.
“At first I was annoyed at the presence of these people who were obviously talking about me and I could not understand a word they were saying.
“Lucky for me, a fellow rider who understood German, came along and I asked him what was happening.
“I burst into laughter when I was told that they were laying bets as to whether I was black all over or had just blackened my hands and face to catch their attention. They were waiting for me to put off my tracksuit.”
And so the good-humoured Rio sportsman, who first came into the limelight when he won the African national cycling championships in 1958, goes on. Moyo now has a racing bike worth $1 000 but remembers the old days when he used to race against stars Chasi Nyandoro, OK Julius, and Remegio Majoni on an ordinary bicycle.
“Those days are long gone because here at Rio Tinto, our employers are very conscious of sports promotion,” Moyo said.
“Top racing can be expensive and I am glad that our company goals all out to assist me.”
Apart from winning the South African veterans’ title, Moyo finished 11th in their veterans’ tour over seven stages in May.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- Sports requires discipline, dedication and perseverance to remain at the top. Moyo was able to remain in the game for more than 21 years because of these virtues.
- To succeed, one needs to challenge themselves against things that might appear to be impossible. Moyo was able to remain in shape because he competed with more than just person.
- Sports offers a lot of opportunities including travelling abroad to compete and widen his networks.
- Government through the Ministry of Sports, should use personalities like him to inspire young cyclists and raise the portfolios of such sports.
Online Reporter
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