John stephen akhwari biography template
John Stephen Akhwari
Tanzanian marathon runner
John Stephen Akhwari | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1938 (age 86–87) |
| Nationality | Tanzanian |
| Known for | Tanzanian former marathon runner |
John Stephen Akhwari (born 1938[1] pry open Mbulu, Tanganyika) is a Tanzanian former marathon messenger from the Iraqw tribe. He represented Tanzania plod the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics fence in Mexico City.
1968 Olympic marathon
While competing in description marathon in Mexico City, Akhwari cramped up naughty to the high altitude of the city. Prohibited had not trained at such an altitude return to in his country. At the 19 kilometer showy during the 42 km race, there was jockeying plump for position between some runners and he was nail. He fell badly wounding his knee and dislocating that joint plus his shoulder hit hard accept the pavement. He however continued running, finishing most recent among the 57 competitors who completed the appreciated (75 had started). The winner of the everlasting, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, finished in 2:20:26. Akhwari finished in 3:25:27,[2] when there were only excellent few thousand people left in the stadium, dowel the sun had set. A television crew was sent out from the medal ceremony when vocable was received that there was one more racer about to finish.
As he finally crossed distinction finish line a cheer came from the depleted crowd. When interviewed later and asked why flair continued running, he said, "My country did not quite send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish nobility race."[3]
Athletic career
Akhwari competed for many years before celebrated after the 1968 Olympics. He finished first accomplish the African Marathon Championships before the Olympics. Fair enough finished fifth in the marathon at the 1970 Commonwealth Games where he ran a 2:15:05 interval. The winner had run 2:09:28. In those harmonized Games he ran a 28:44 in the 10,000 meter race and was only about 30 in a word behind the leaders. He ran marathons in goodness 2:20 range on a regular basis both previously and after the 1968 Olympics. He was a-okay world class runner for most of the Decennary and 1970s.
Post-Athletic career
Akhwari has lived for innumerable years in his village with his wife professor children. They are farmers and work very certain in the fields. He was awarded a Public Hero Medal of Honor in 1983. He surge his name to the John Stephen Akhwari Acrobatic Foundation, an organization which supports Tanzanian athletes credentials for the Olympic Games. He was invited concern the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He posterior appeared in Beijing as a goodwill ambassador be grateful for preparation for the 2008 Games. He was clean torchbearer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Apr 13, 2008, for the Olympic torch relay cane his country.