Tshube reflects on ‘The Solo Runner’
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday December 11, 2021 06:00
Tshube said a lot of times there are role models around but their stories are never told. “Makwala is from Tutume and I am from Nswazwi. When I interviewed him, the things he explained, I was familiar with and I did not need to do a lot of follow up. I must admit that at first, he was hesitant. He told me that he had a project where someone else was working on the book,” Tshube said. He said after a month they agreed. Tshube said there were three profound lessons from the book that athletes should think deeply about. “All athletes should develop some skills in and outside sport because athletics career is short and not all athletes reach elite sport.
Those who reach the elite stage do not always make money out of the sport. It is important that they acquire skills beyond the track. Most profoundly, it is important that Makwala builds a network with Mascom but ensures that he acquires skills beyond just sponsorship,” he said. Tshube said he could be a public speaker, host events or inspire people. He said his athletics career is good and he should commercialise it. Tshube said athletes need to learn how to relate with people around them. “We have a lot of talent in Botswana even at the global level, but the inability to relate very well with our athletes or their inability to relate well with people around them undermines their talent in a lot of cases. They need to develop their strong sense of autonomy in the decisions they make and things that they do,” Tshube said.
For his part, Makwala took the audience on his life journey. He started running at Magapatona Primary School but he was not the best even at junior secondary school. “When growing up, my dream was to become a soldier. I did not know anything about athletics. When I was still at primary school, my late father, Wonderful Makwala Moseki did not want us to do sport, myself included. My father wanted us to focus on academics. Despite that, I took part in sport behind his back,” he said. Makwala said his father was overprotective and made sure that he took him to and from school. He said at Pandagala JSS, his interest was in football than in athletics. He said after failing to proceed to senior secondary, in 2003, he went to herd livestock at Malelejwe cattlepost for a year. “After that stay, I came back and enrolled at Nswazwi Brigade where I met Zibane Molopo.
He is my former coach. I was committed to athletics. He assisted me to join the Francistown Athletics Club until I became a part of the senior national team in 2006,” Makwala said. Makwala said he never joined youth or junior teams but only arrived as a senior.
The Olympic bronze medallist said he was lucky because when he joined the national team he went to Mauritius for the 2006 African Championships in Athletics and from there he never looked back. “Bobby Gaseitsiwe was my coach then. He was the only coach for us quarter milers. In 2007, I went to the Dakar High Performance Training Centre (HPTC), where Anthony Koffi coached me,” he said. After a year, Makwala joined the Jamaica HPTC where he was coached by Glen Mills.
The latter also coached Olympic record holder Usain Bolt and the 100-metre World Champion Yohan Blake. “I trained with Bolt and Blake. I learnt a lot from them. In 2013, I returned home.
I started working with Justice Dipeba. I am what I am because of him. He taught me a lot of things, discipline and hard work. He believes in hard work. All his athletes would tell you about this man,” the 400m specialist said. Makwala said he named his daughter Tokyo because she was born while he was at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Makwala said he has never had a low moment in his career and each year he was breaking records.
The highlight of his career was when he won the bronze medal with the men’s 4x400m relay team. "Even my individual performance was top-notch,” Makwala said, beaming with excitement.