By Brenda Mazhambe
MVURWI, Mashonaland Central — Zimbabwean wheelchair racing star Stella Jongwe, 25, has set her sights on the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon in Japan this November after winning the women’s 21km wheelchair race at the Munhumutapa Half Marathon held on Saturday at Mvurwi High School.
The Mt Darwin-born athlete was among the standout performers at the second edition of the race, which attracted athletes from across the country as part of celebrations marking President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday.
For Jongwe, however, the victory was more than another addition to her growing list of road-racing successes.
It came at a crucial stage of her preparations for international competition, with the athlete now turning her attention to Japan, where she is scheduled to compete in November.
“The race pushed me to train hard, and winning was the only way,” said Jongwe.
She said the victory had renewed her confidence and motivation to intensify her preparations as she seeks to raise her level of competition on the international stage.
Jongwe has steadily established herself as one of Zimbabwe’s leading female wheelchair racers, competing in a number of major road races locally and across the region.
Her sporting journey has also included wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis before she increasingly focused on athletics. She has represented Zimbabwe in international competitions, including para-badminton, where she won a bronze medal at the African Para-Badminton Championships in Uganda in 2019.
She has also recorded success in road racing, including winning the Outeniqua Chair Challenge in South Africa, while competing in events such as the Victoria Falls Marathon, Tanganda Marathon, PPC Matopos 33 Miler, CBZ Marathon, Tanganda Tea Half-Marathon, Econet Marathon, Beitbridge Mayor’s Marathon, ZRP Marathon and Jacaranda Bloom Half-Marathon.
Her latest Munhumutapa victory has added momentum to a career that Jongwe hopes will eventually take her to some of the biggest stages in international sport.
Beyond her own preparations, Jongwe believes Zimbabwe needs more regular wheelchair races to give athletes opportunities to develop and measure their progress.
“Events like this give athletes an opportunity to compete, assess themselves and gain the experience needed for bigger competitions,” she said.
The Munhumutapa Half Marathon is now in its second edition and features different race categories aimed at encouraging fitness, unity and community participation.
The event takes its name from the historic Munhumutapa Empire, which is associated with Zimbabwe’s ancestral heritage, giving the sporting competition a cultural dimension.
Funeral services and financial assurance company Doves and Discovery Ambulances were among the key sponsors, while businessman and philanthropist Sir Wicknell Chivhayo sponsored prize money for the various categories.
The support enabled organisers to reward athletes for their performances while contributing to the development and promotion of athletics in Zimbabwe.
