Spotlight on Ananias Shikongo

ANANIAS Shikongo has overcome tremendous odds to become one of the world’s top blind athletes and a strong contender for a Paralympic gold medal in Rio in five months time.

In a glittering career he has won numerous medals at the SA Disabled Championships, the African Championships, the All Africa Games and the IPC World Championships, and now a Paralympic medal is the only one not featuring in his trophy cabinet.

Although Shikongo was always a talented sportsman and a natural athlete, it was his courage, hard work and determination to overcome tremendous odds that have brought him to the cusp of greatness.

Growing up in the northern Namibian village of Okankolo in the Oshikoto region, tragedy struck at a young age when he lost his eyesight, not once, but twice.

He lost his left eye in a bow-and-arrow shooting accident at the age of three and then three years later lost his right eye after being kicked by a donkey.

It was a big blow for Shikongo, having to get used to a life without sight, but through his courage and the support of his parents he made the best of the situation.

“I went to the hospital and then I stayed with my parents for two years. They encouraged me all the time saying that I was not the only blind person in this world. They found me a special school with other blind people so that we could school together. In the beginning I had to have a guide to walk, but later I learned how to walk with a cane and after that I did not even need a cane anymore,” he said.

Shikongo had a special talent for running and decided to put all his efforts into athletics. He started participating in athletics at the Eluwa Special School in Ongwediva that he attended and soon made his mark.

He advanced through the ranks, competing at regional and national level and by 2004 at the age of 18 he was selected to represent Namibia at the Nedbank Disabled Championships in South Africa for the first time. Here he won one silver medal in the T11 200m, but he kept on improving and two years later made a clean sweep at the Nedbank National Championships, winning three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m.

In 2008 he won two gold and one silver medal at the SA Nedbank Championships and in 2010 he once again won three gold medals. By now he was one of the best blind athletes on the continent and underlined that fact when he won two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m at the African Championships in Morocco.

With these achievements, Shikongo qualified for the IPC World Championships for the first time and competed against the world’s best disabled athletes in Christchurch, New Zealand in January 2011.

Here he excelled, winning a bronze medal in the 400m, while he also qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games in the 100m, 200m and 400m.

Later that year he entered the record books by becoming the first Namibian gold medallist at the All Africa Games since 1991 when he won the T11 200m final. He initially finished second but the Angolan Octavio dos Santos was later disqualified after his guide had pulled him.

London, however, was a huge disappointment as he pulled a hamstring and could not compete at his best.

“I was very disappointed and didn’t know if I’d be able to run again, but my coach encouraged me and told me it’s just a part of life – we must treat the injury and then I’ll be able to continue with my career.”

Shikongo resumed his training and was soon amongst the best in the world again.

At the 2013 IPC World Championships in Lyon, France, he won a silver medal in the 200m in the world’s fastest time that year of 22,67 while he also won a bronze medal in the 100m.

“I was very encouraged and knew if I keep on training I would dominate and destroy the other athletes.”

Last year Shikongo once again excelled by winning a silver medal in the 200m at the IPC World Championships in Doha as well as three gold medals at the Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, and these performances have made him hungry for more.

“We came back with confidence and continued training and getting ready for Rio – I know I’m going to make it.”

Shikongo is especially targeting gold in his favourite event, the 200m, where his Personal Best (PB) time is only 0,19 seconds outside the world record.

“I feel I can break my PB because Ive been training hard with my guides Even Tjiviju and Sam Shimanda. I’m happy with the preparations because Coca-Cola is even sponsoring us to use a gym and our coach and the government are also assisting with transport to take us to training, so I know we will make it because now we will have enough training,” he said.

For more information about Shikongo, or to support his activities, go to his website at www.ananiasshikongo.com

One on One with Ananias Shikongo

When and where were you born?

21 July 1986, Okankolo village in the Oshikoto region.

Eluwa Special School in Ongwediva and HTS in Windhoek. I completed my matric at HTS and continued with a certificate for marketing at the Polytechnic of Namibia. I got the certificate but then I decided I wanted to study sport management so I’ll do that after the Olympics.

Who inspired you?

I admired Oscar Pistorius, he really encouraged me – he showed that even as a disabled athlete you can make it.

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