Moyengwa breaks barriers to make Olympics cut
Normally, Bazezuru women are in the business of selling handmade wares. For Magdelene Moyengwa, to be a weightlifter came as a shock to her family. Because of her culture, when Moyengwa started lifting weights at Mogoditshane Junior Secondary School, she did it in secret. However, she ended up informing her father about her newly found interest.
To her surprise, her father did not have a problem with her newly found love. Her father remained supportive until his passing last year.
Today, Moyengwa is riding the crest of the wave after becoming the first local weightlifter to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Moyengwa booked her place on the plane to Tokyo, Japan after she was ranked the top weightlifter in the 59kg category in Africa. Her success will see the country sending the first ever weightlifter to the Olympic Games.
Moyengwa told Mmegi Sport that she was excited about her achievement.
“In the past few months, I had given up on qualifying. I had a lot of challenges that I was going through,” she said.
Moyengwa explained that she started preparing for the Olympics this year because last year it was impossible due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak also dampened the spirit of the 20-yearold as all she wanted was to be an Olympian.
Despite the challenges she faced, Moyengwa had to keep her head up.
“I had support from my parents and my siblings. At some point, I thought this was a waste of my time and the competition was tough. I was competing with weightlifters from other countries. Sometimes I would ask myself why at my age and a Mozezuru, I was putting myself through this torture,” said an emotional Moyengwa.
She said it also broke her heart that her father passed on before he could witness her success.
Moyengwa said her fiancée, Lamec Elijah was there for her all the time. Growing up, she never had interest in any sport up until her Physical Education teacher introduced her to weightlifting in 2014. It turned out to be the best decision she ever took.
Moyengwa made her debut on the international stage at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in 2019. She competed in the women’s 59kg D session, registering a total of 147kg to rank 34th overall.
She managed 65kg with her first attempt in the snatch and 82kg with her final attempt in the clean and jerk.
She then competed at the World Junior Championships in Uzbekistan.
Moyengwa cleaned the weights at the Africa Junior Championships in 2019 scooping three gold medals.
“In weightlifting, we compete with two techniques which is snatch. So the biggest I have lifted is 70kg and in clean and jerk I have lifted 85kg,” she said.
It also remains to be seen if Moyengwa will take the COVID-19 jab because during the interview she still had reservations about it.
Mmegi Sport visited Moyengwa’s family in Mogoditshane where her mother, Elinah and her younger brother, Prika were glad to narrate Moyengwa’s path to the top.
Her brother said as youngsters, Moyengwa had interest in athletics.
“I never thought she would be a weightlifter. It was her secret when she decided to join this sport. We only learnt about her passion when she was to go to some competition. I think the reason why she did not tell us was that maybe our parents would not allow her to follow her dream,” he said.
Prika said they felt it was a strange decision as they never thought a woman would lift weights. He said they also thought it was a short-term sport choice she was doing while at school. He said his sister had never told them her plans for the sport. He said the best news came when she informed the family about her Olympics feat.
“The greatest challenge that my sister had was the passing of our father. He was her rock and he supported her. It is not everyday in our culture that you find someone being active in sport. Our father gave us permission to follow our dreams; he did not limit us,” he said.
Prika said even after the unfortunate situation, their mother continued to give her support.
He said as members of the Shona tribe, they respect culture a lot and that has moulded his sister to be disciplined. However, Prika said there were moments that his sister complained that she was not getting enough support and contemplated quitting. He said his sister wanted to look for a job to take care of her family.
Despite that, Prika said as a family they always find a way to motivate her.
When asked about the COVID-19 vaccine, he said his sister should follow sport regulations and if it means taking the jab, she must do so.
Elinah said she had a lot of expectations from her daughter but she never thought she would be a weightlifter. “It was a difficult journey for her but here we are. She is a star and I am excited for her. Our culture is against the route that she has taken. But we realised there was nothing we could do to stop her.
She is my daughter and I should support her,” she said. The soft-spoken Elinah said everyone is unemployed in her family and they survive through selling wares on the streets. She said the passing of her husband has left a huge gap in the family. The Moyengwa family originates from Mandunyane village near Tonota. Elinah said the path that was taken by her daughter was met with opposition by some relatives because she is a woman. She said the most important help that they would appreciate is financial.
“The only way for my daughter to focus is when she knows that I am in a good place. She is always worried about me. My other child, Prika is still a student,” Elinah said.
Meanwhile, her coach, Alex Rankgwe said it was an honour to coach an Olympiad.
“It is a scary thing to be coaching at this level. The pressure is not only on Magdelene but even myself. I should come up with a training plan for her. Right now we have intensified our training. She will go into specialised training when we go to a training camp outside the country,” Rankgwe said.