A book documenting and celebrating the achievements of Namibia’s Paralympian athletes was launched at the Project Room in Windhoek last week.
‘No Obstacle is Too Great to Overcome’ was written by Frank Gschwender, a German national who previously lived in Namibia and started following Paralympians’ careers closely about 10 years ago.
The launch also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Sport on the Move Foundation that has been supporting Namibia’s para-athletes for the past decade.
Doufi Namalambo of Sport on the Move at the launch said she was amazed by the athletes’ success on the international stage.
“I’ve been part of the Sport on the Move Foundation for one reason: A group of athletes who have been able to bring medals home, and for me that has been fascinating. This book is a collection of the stories of the athletes and their guides and coaches, and those stories are so powerful and impactful,” she said.
The book features interviews and life stories of three Namibian Paralympians – Ananias Shikongo, Johannes Nambala, and Lahja Ishitile, as well as their guides Sem Simanda and Even Tjiuiju, and their coach Letu Hamhola.
Namibia’s Paralympians have excelled on the global stage, winning a total of 12 and three gold medals at the Paralympics over the past 18 years.
Reginald Benade won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, while Johanna Benson won two at the London Paralympics four years later, including Namibia’s first-ever gold medal.
Since then, Shikongo, Nambala and Ishitile have won nine medals between them, including two gold medals for Shikongo and Ishitile at the Rio games in 2016, the Tokyo games in 2021, and the Paris games in 2024.
Gschwender, who is also a member of the Sport on the Move Foundation, at the event said Namibia’s Paralympian athletes had come a long way.
“We have known each other since 2015 in preparation of the Paralympic Games in Rio, and since then we moved from Rio to Tokyo, and from Tokyo to Paris together.
“On this journey, we got to know each other very well, and we got very personal insights into the lives of the athletes. We were just amazed by their personal backgrounds, their families, their handicaps and their achievements,” he said.
“We just thought someone must write up these amazing stories and that someone became me. I had the privilege to do this, and eventually it became very inspirational for me to see what can be done, what obstacles can be overcome if you have the right commitment, the right morale and the right mindset.
“For me it was important that the athletes be recognised and that this is eventually put down in a book and that it is published, because it’s important for them to be acknowledged.
“For me it’s inspirational, seeing what they’ve achieved and what obstacles they’ve overcome over a long period of time. It’s just amazing. They are role models for me and maybe for a wider audience as well,” Gschwender said.
The book is available at Sport on the Move Foundation and all proceeds will go towards supporting the athletes.
