Sunday Times

Memory of Josia the fuel for finale in Brazil

- DAVID ISAACSON

LUSAPHO April has spent the past four years dreaming of winning the Olympic marathon. Today he tries to make it happen. April, Sibusiso Nzima and Lungile Gongqa represent South Africa in the 42km race starting at 2.30pm (SA time) hoping to win its first marathon medal since Josia Thugwane won gold 20 years ago in Atlanta.

That feat inspired Nzima, who grew up at Westonaria on the West Rand. “I was encouraged by Josia,” said Nzima, a nine-year-old cross country runner at the time. “I just fell in love with athletics.”

Gongqa, 37, from Ngcobo in the former Transkei, still has a severe stutter he has had since his youth, when he was laughed at by other children for his speech defect. Running was a way to escape ridicule.

Fellow Eastern Cape product April, who grew up at Addo near Port Elizabeth, drew motivation from a local runner there, Cecil Nazo.

“He was always training whatever the weather, whether it was hot, raining, cold, windy,” said April, 34, who lives in Langa outside Uitenhage.

April, who joined coach Karen Zimmerman at her training group in Port Elizabeth in 1996, is the only one of the trio at the London Games four years ago, finishing first of the South African contingent in 43rd spot.

Third in the 2013 New York Marathon in 2013, he did not achieve the results he wanted at the Boston marathon the next two years.

“I’ve worked on my weaknesses and made them strengths,” said April, who stuck with the leaders beyond halfway before falling off.

“We have been working on distance,” he added, explaining his

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