HE once ran out of the water at the beach so fast because of a “shark” that approached him and remembers feeling terrified, but once other beachgoers assured him that it was only a harmless, playful dolphin, this determined man returned to the water and carried on teaching himself how to swim.
Today, it is hard to believe that 46-year-old Kura Mazongo didn’t know how to swim or even ride a bicycle a mere two years ago, especially since he successfully completed the 2021 IRONMAN African Championship held in Nelson Mandela Bay recently.
Mazongo, a petrol attendant at Engen in Mount Pleasant, proudly serves his customers with a huge smile and his IRONMAN medal around his neck, concrete evidence that he persevered through even the toughest challenges to achieve his goal and finish the race.
Mazongo’s troubles started when he was involved in a hit-and-run accident with his bike, early last year, while training for the 2020 IRONMAN race, which was cancelled due to the national lockdown.
“I was doing an early evening training bike ride, and someone crashed into me. I had the right of way, but the gentleman did not stop at the stop sign. I was shaken up and scared.
“I do not know how I survived that. I got thrown over the bonnet of the car and onto the ground,” Mazongo explained.
“My bike was in pieces. Since it was a hit-and-run, people came to help me and picked me up off the ground along with the pieces of my bike.
“That was one month before the race and I actually believe it was a blessing in disguise that the event was cancelled because I was now injured and had no bike.”
He said what made it worse was the fact that a well-wisher and members of the community had helped him purchase the bike in the first place, after they made donations.
The cheapest bike that he could find was R7 000 and after most of the money had been raised, he added to the total amount with his own money and bought the bike.
“I didn’t even know how to ride a bike in the first place. When I first got the bike, I told my boss, Marilyn Jeppe, that I would really like to learn how to ride and she helped me.
“She basically taught me. She is so amazing. I fell so many times like a child but she remained patient until I was confident enough to continue on my own.”
Mazongo, who is an avid runner and had completed four Comrades marathons and four Two Oceans events, said that the community once again stepped in and helped him raise enough money to repair his bike so that he could start training again for this year’s race.
Just when he thought that his luck had turned around, his repaired bike was stolen during an evening shift at work in June this year.
“I was without a bike for three months and in September, another Good Samaritan gave me a bike to use. “It wasn’t the right bike, just a normal mountain bike, but I was grateful because I could at least continue training.
“Luckily, three weeks before the race, Paul Wolff from IRONMAN South Africa, lent me a bike to use for the event and I managed to take part and finish the race,” he explained.
Mazongo said that he was determined and ready for this year’s race because he believed that all the challenges had made him stronger.
After learning how to ride a bike, he still had to learn how to swim. After receiving some good advice from a parent at his daughter’s school, he bought a pool noodle, joined a local gym and started training himself.
When that became too expensive, he ventured into the water at Sardinia Bay and taught himself how to swim. “It took me approximately two months to learn. I had the confidence but just lacked the technique.
“I was in the water once when I thought I saw a shark. I ran out of the water so fast but laughed when I was told that it was just a dolphin wanting to play,” he said with a laugh.
Mazongo said that he felt amazing on the race day.
“It was not an easy journey but I stayed determined and committed.
The sea conditions were very rough and the bike ride was the most difficult because of the wind, but I pushed through.
“When I crossed the finish line, I was humbled and felt privileged.
“It was such a huge honour and I am ready to compete again in April next year,” Mazongo said.
