Unified Sports Fitness Club launched

Spare a thought for the intellectually challenged individuals, some who are locked up in homes and discouraged to move around or play games with other children in the neighbourhoods.

We eat the same foods and drink the same liquids that are being said to be culprits in this era in which obesity has been declared an epidemic, and yet we encourage intellectually challenged individuals to be sedentary and think nothing of it.

This is done, not out of cruel intentions I would like to think, but as an act of protecting beloved vulnerable family members.

These individuals need to exercise more than anyone else but at the same time they have less access to fitness facilities and activities. But, thanks to the caring individuals who participate as volunteer officials, partners and coaches etc. who are rolling out programmes to assist the needy in the communities.

Last Saturday Special Olympics Zimbabwe launched a unified wellness and fitness programme under the Unified Sports Fitness Club banner. This event was an eye opener to some of us that there are forgotten members of the community that need exercise the most.

I spoke to one of the volunteer officials, John Muringani who is the National Sports Director of the Special Olympics Zimbabwe.

Muringani is also president and national team coach of the Table Tennis Association. Muringani said the Unified Sports Fitness Club is a product of Special Olympics Zimbabwe. It comprises of clubs whose membership includes individuals living with challenges and those living without challenges.

“At the moment there are three exercise centres; one at Prince Edward School, one in Mufakose and another in Norton. Each centre will have exercises twice a week. We are saying twice a week because of the budget we cannot extend to say four days a week, but we also encourage them to do more exercises in their personal set ups,” he said.

Muringani said they will provide measuring gadgets to participants so that whenever they are exercising they can measure their weight, work rate, work done per day and other vital statistics.

At the launch they did zumba and other exercises as an introduction, to show everyone that these are the things they should be doing in their day-to-day lives. They also played basketball games.

“We use sports to drive our message. We are targeting those living with challenges and those living without challenges in equal numbers, we train together and have fun together.

“There is no difference between us, actually those living with challenges are able to do some things that we cannot. As Special Olympics everything we do is unified. We discourage segregation and looking down upon other individuals. They have the right to live the same quality life that we enjoy.”

Muringani said whatever they do they partner with Lions Club, hence the Leos (junior members of the Lions) were present at launch. I had a few words with Christopher Manzero (25) who is the leader of the Leo Youth Program in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique .

The Leo club falls under what is called the Generation Unified in which Christopher is also a fellow member. Christopher has been involved in Special Olympics programmes for two years and has been a Leo for nine years and he hopes to continue as a partner, coach and volunteer for many years to come.

The ages of their team of volunteers range from 12 up to 30.

He said Leo is a group of youths who have set goals to improve lives of disadvantaged people.

“As part of a youth service group and team of volunteers we want to dispel the norms, which is the stigma attached to people living with intellectual challenges. We are not different, we just have different abilities. We are the future and we do not want to continue talking about such things.

“Constant interaction during exercise sessions as we grow up increases their tolerance, exposes the athletes and thereby brings out the potential in them. This fitness initiative also creates opportunities for the intellectually challenged athletes to exercise and increase their fitness levels.

“Athletes with intellectual disabilities are part of the community. We have to learn to accept that in order to generate healthy athletes. It is important that we jump, play and laugh together. These are some of the things they do not experience at home.

“As young people we accept that the world that we are living in has changed, the diet has changed and the kind of foods we are eating expose us to the risk of getting obese and suffer from the diseases caused by obesity.

“It is said intellectually challenged individuals are bound to become obese due to sedentary lifestyles. Most of them are said to live such lifestyles because they have no confidence in mixing up with other people.”

Also present at the launch were some of their champion athletes like Maria of Homefield who excels in volleyball and bocce, Munyaradzi Musariri a champion golfer and Nyasha Derera a top sprinter.

According to Muringani these champions also excel even in the mainstream competitions and they are an inspiration to others.

I had a chat with sprinter Nyasha Derera aged 21, who stays in Mufakose.

Nyasha has won many local races and has represented Zimbabwe at the World Summer Games Special Olympics held in the United States where he scooped bronze in the 400-metre race. He says he is a flexible or rather a utility athlete as he can run short distances as a sprinter, he can run middle distances and long distances as a marathon runner.

Nyasha trains six days a week running short to long distances; from 400 metres to 42 kilometres. He rests either on Saturday or on Sunday.

Nyasha’s words of advice: “To stay healthy you must exercise and train hard, it keeps your mind open. To the young, the future is in your hands, do not indulge it shortens your life. Do not go for easy things, easy come easy go. Work hard, dream big and strive to inspire others.”

Innocent Choga is a six time National Bodybuilding Champion with international experience. He is studying for a science degree in Physical Education and Sport. Email: [email protected]