Local Nelson Mandela Bay petrol pump attendant, Kura Mazongo, is taking on his third ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship, inspiring many South Africans.
Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa (03 March 2023) – The unique and remarkable story about Kura Mazongo continues as he takes on his third IRONMAN event at the 18th edition of ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship on Sunday, March 05, 2023.
The 47-year-old local Engen petrol pump attendant has inspired many South Africans over the last two years by defying all odds, overcoming financial barriers and lack of sporting resources to achieve his dream of finishing an IRONMAN.
In 2021, he completed the ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship in a time of 14:01:44 (the swim was shortened for age groupers), a race described as one of the toughest as athletes had to contend with rough seas and strong wind conditions on the bike and run courses.
Kura finished just before midnight that Sunday and still got up early Monday morning to make it to work by 6 am. In 2022, he finished in a time of 11:12:46 with a cancelled swim due to rough sea conditions.
This year he will be hoping for great weather as he takes on a 3.8km ocean swim, 180km bike ride, followed by a 42.2km marathon run in Gqeberha.
“I love this race and I am so happy to be able to participate this year. Thank you to everyone who made this journey possible, as I could not do this on my own,” says Kura.
This has been a long journey for Kura, he worked double shifts and overtime to save R7,000 to buy an entry-level racing bicycle, but his dream was almost derailed when his bike was stolen in June of 2021.
This did not stop him.
Kura explains, “One day [in 2020], 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 floor. I also had to find another bike because the one I was riding with was badly damaged during the crash.”
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He continues, “When I started fundraising for another bike, people did not believe I was going to use the money to buy a bike, so I could take part in IRONMAN. I heard people saying that I did not look like a triathlete, that I looked unfit, and I was just going to use the money for something else. This really hurt me. Fortunately, IRONMAN South Africa gave me a proof of entry letter that helped with my fundraising.”
“I managed to raise R7,000 to get a bike but then it got stolen three weeks before the 2021 ISUZU IRONMAN African Championship event while I was at work. I was devastated and stressed all week. Fortunately, one of the IRONMAN staff lent me a bike to use for that event.”
Zimbabwean-born, Kura moved to South Africa in 2007 and has resided in Nelson Mandela Bay ever since, where he stays with his wife and three kids. He works as a petrol attendant at a local Engen fueling station in Mount Pleasant.
Becoming an IRONMAN has been a dream of his and after taking part in four Comrades marathons and four Two Oceans marathon events, he decided to defy all odds and chase the IRONMAN red carpet.
Kura continues, “The thought of getting into the sport initially came about in 2018. I spoke to some of the friends I was running with at the time to see if they thought triathlon was a viable option for me. I was told that it took a lot of commitment to do a triathlon and that it was a time-intensive sport. However, I was still interested in the sport despite hearing about the obstacles I would face if I pursued this dream of being a triathlete.”
“So, in 2019 I taught myself to ride a bike for the first time ever in my life. I did not know how to ride a bike, so that’s where I thought my starting point should be. My current boss taught me how to use cycling cleats that same week. I then went to a guy named Hanson Singaphi, at a local bike shop, and he took me on a ride which helped with my confidence. Hanson then mentioned that I would need to learn how to swim and practice often if I want to do the sport, especially if I wanted to enter an IRONMAN race.”
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