The Sunday Mail
Deputy Sports Editor
When you dream, dream big!
However, don’t just dream, pursue it and work hard to turn it into reality.
That, in a nutshell, is the story of newly crowned Mr Novice, Tsungirirayi Otto Chakawuya, who, after his debut competition and win, is already gunning for the Mr Zimbabwe crown.
“The next competition I have my eyes on right now is the Mr Zimbabwe crown at the end of the year,” he said.
For the Borrowdale bodybuilder, taking aim at the Mr Zimbabwe title is a big jump, but he is oozing with confidence at the moment.
“I think I am going to use the Harare Classic as preparation, but the target is Mr Zimbabwe.
“I want to give it my all and do my best to win. I am allergic to losing.”
Chakawuya is no stranger to facing insurmountable odds; after all, he started his bodybuilding career as a pastime and means to combat an acute case of asthma.
Back then, in 2013, he mostly did his workouts at backyard gyms in Glen View.
“I started bodybuilding mainly as a form of exercise, largely due to being asthmatic, and that was around 2013.
“I developed a knack for the sport and ended up being addicted.”
His defining moment came when he met and signed with seasoned bodybuilder and coach Gideon Teguru.
“My routine revolved around me going around backyard gyms in Glen View and Southerton. “I then moved to Oxygen Gym end of 2015 and stayed there until around 2020, after which the Covid-19 pandemic hit and I had to move,” he said.
The 30-year-old then found a new home at Pro-Fitness Gym in Borrowdale and it has been his base ever since under the tutelage of Teguru. Surprisingly, Pro-Fitness Gym is where the second chapter of his journey began.
The road to Chakawuya’s Mr Novice title, which he won last weekend at the Zimbabwe College of Music, has been a journey that has been two years in the making.
It has been a wild ride, one full of obstacles, a pandemic, some self-doubt and a lot of hard work.
“The journey was long and hard.
“I remember I would train six-seven times a week, and the hardest part was the dieting.
“The diet made me contemplate quitting a couple of times, as it was hard drinking all those fluids and eating food with no salt.
“I also had to reduce the sugar in my diet.
“It got so bad that I wanted to quit a week before the competition but my coaches pushed me to hang in there and persevere.
“I am thankful to Gideon Teguru and Pastor Lawson,” he added.
The asthma did not help matters.
Chakawuya was sometimes forced to abandon training and change his routine when it got too cold.
Fortunately, the payoff was worth the struggle. Today, the reigning Mr Novice can afford to smile from ear to ear.
“I was so happy I found it hard to hide my smile,” he said of his Mr Novice crowning moment. “This will probably be my favourite title, especially given the fact it was my first competition and I won.”
