Sports
Sport Writer
T
akunda Mafundikwa is a
young Zimbabwean swimming
sensation based in the United
States of America who recently
caught the eye of the selection committee
of the Zimbabwe national team. He was
invited to participate in the recently
selected team that participated in
South Africa recently. The Parade Sport
(TPS) caught up with him and below
is the interview conducted with The
Black Thunder, as the young man is
affectionately referred to by team-mates
in his country of adoption. Please read on:
TPS: Mafundikwa Can you give me a
brief history of Taku the swimmer, and
Taku the man?
TM: Regarding Takunda the man, I
come from a family that has rooted me in
good morals. My parents have given me
a good moral education. They have also
emphasized the importance of education
and how nothing is out of reach. As for
Takunda the swimmer, I fell in love
with the sport at a very young age. I was
priviledged that my parents could afford
to take me for swim lessons when I was
in the third grade and I have not stopped
swimming since then.
TPS: You are competing in what
is considered a minority sport in
Zimbabwe. What inspired you to take
up the sport ahead of other sports like
football, rugby, cricket, etc?
TM: There’s always been something
about the water that attracted me. The
calmness, how quite it is just made it
so appealing to me. Swimming in the
beginning started as fun, but now it’s
much more than that. It’s a stress reliever.
When I’m frustrated, sad, or down in the
Page 56
dumps, I swim to relieve that tension. It
is now a very huge part of my life.
TPS: Which are your preferred
swimming strokes and distances?
TM: I’m a sprinter. Mostly I swim
breaststroke and freestyle. I’m working
on becoming a better Individual medley
swimmer.
TPS: What could you say are some of
the notable achievements you have
made in your swimming career so far?
TM: At 10 years of age, I broke a record
set by someone who went on to be a great
swimmer when I was at Hartmann House
in Harare. I’ve qualified for numerous
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