Story by Raynald Ngwarati
ZIMBABWE’S rhythmic gymnastics queen, Runako Kundishora, is expected to lead Team Zimbabwe at the Gymnastics Region 5 in Namibia this December after retaining her title as the National Rhythmic Gymnastics seniors champion at a local school in Harare this Saturday.
With a dream of representing Zimbabwe at the Olympics, the 19-year-old Kundishora is fast becoming a household name in regional Rhythmic Gymnastics, a standard she eyes to translate into global success in the near future.
Arguably in a league of her own, the reigning Rhythmic Gymnastics Seniors National Champion was at the forefront during the Region Five Gymnastics showcase last year, helping Team Zimbabwe to bag bronze on home soil.
This Saturday, Kundishora was at her usual prime, commanding the roost at the Rhythmic Gymnastics National Finals to renew her bid in the regional arena ahead of this year’s Region Five showcase slated for Namibia.
While she did not speak for herself, her signature performance was an expression of dreams to raise the banner of gymnastics in Zimbabwe.
“She is looking forward to joining the Olympic team and participating in the Olympics as well as African competitions. Her first step is next year in Africa, and she will attempt that one first before she can seal the Olympics,” her mother, Barbra Mudzurandende said.
“She started as a recreational gymnast. She passed through the hall and saw people practising and decided to have a go at it. That was when she was in about Grade three. She started on the lower level and rapidly progressed, winning on and off. When she became very serious, she started representing the country,” Kundishora’s Coach, Cheryl Muchatuta noted.
A national champion, a regional medalist, and a world-stage performer Kundishora has built a legacy and inspiration to the next generation.
“I would want to reach great heights. For me, I would wish to maybe represent Zimbabwe at the Olympics, but I would want to be a coach or judge,” gymnast Atara Peters expressed.
Kundishora, who has showcased her talent in the Netherlands and Brazil, leads a new generation of Zimbabwe’s gymnasts, which includes rising starlets Atara Peters and Talia Chahwanda among others, who dream to dominate the world stage.
