How Gadzirayi defeated cancer to become Zimbabwe Olympic Committee boss

Tadious Manyepo

MARLENE Gadzirayi has been to hell and back.

At the age of 37, Gadzirayi is one of the youngest chief executive officers to lead the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC).

An accountant by profession, she now spends most of her days implementing ZOC’s strategic plan that seeks to see many Zimbabwean athletes qualifying for the Olympic Games and getting podium finishes.

Gadzirayi has held the CEO position for the past five months after assuming office on September 1 last year.

She has already made significant strides, including facilitating the journey for Team Zimbabwe Under-14 girls tennis to the African Championships in Togo hassle-free, unlike what had become the norm in the past.

Gadzirayi will be leading a small contingent from Zimbabwe, including long-distance runner and the country’s main hopeful, Isaac Mpofu, at this year’s Olympics pencilled in for Paris, France, in July.

She knows the responsibility on her shoulders is very big as she sits on the biggest sporting chair in the country.

“I am both proud and nervous,” she told The Sunday Mail Sport.

“I am not afraid of tackling big issues and that is why I applied for the job in the first place. ZOC has a blueprint that I am driving. We are trying and the hope is that we will be able to deliver. So far so good, the vibe has been nothing but positive,” she said.

The 37-year-old says she is enjoying every moment of her time as the ZOC boss.

After all, she has faced the ultimate tests that life has to offer and she sailed right through them.

For a better understanding of the ZOC boss’ character and perseverance, one has to start at the beginning and work one’s way to the present day.

On one forgettable morning in September 2019, Gadzirayi received a call from her doctor.

Before the call, her doctor had taken some samples for testing and told her to go back home to wait for the results. She had been unwell for about five or so years. The young woman had haemorrhoids, piles and constipation, and the pain had reached unbearable levels. Unsure of what was awaiting her, she visited the doctor, alone.

Despite some reassuring heart-to-heart talk sessions with the medical experts, Gadzirayi would still break down, cursing her gods.

She was confused, hurt and angry.

She just could not take it all at once.

“For years, five or so, I wasn’t very well. However, I didn’t want to consult doctors,” she said.

“I just had fear of the unknown,” she said.

Rather than consult medical personnel, Gadzirayi turned to the internet to research on the cause of her uncomfortable symptoms.

She had hoped that the pain would eventually disappear on its own, but it did not.

At the time, Gadzirayi had a good career in football administration, working for the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe.

She also led an active lifestyle, but despite her balanced diet, her body’s discomfort worsened.

“I then started using over-the-counter painkillers,” she said.

“I was taking them three times a day to ease the pain. I would take them without water at times,” she narrated.

As her health continued to deteriorate, Gadzirayi finally decided to consult a doctor.

It was at this juncture that her fears were confirmed.

“I was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and rectum (colorectal),” she said.

“I was puzzled as this type of cancer is mostly prevalent in men. So, I started asking myself many difficult questions: Why me, why now . . .?” she said.

The cancer was already at an advanced stage and was very aggressive, thereby forcing her to start treatment almost immediately.

“Everything was going too fast. I had to undergo both radiotherapy and chemotherapy at once, rather than separately, as is normally the case. The journey was very difficult to navigate. I lost 30kg; my weight came down from 65kg to 35kg.

“I was getting injections, surgery and chemotherapy. I had 40 chemotherapy and several radiotherapy sessions. I started experiencing some memory loss and lost my sense of taste, which hasn’t fully returned up to now.

“It was very difficult for me. During the initial stages of the Covid-19 era, I would sometimes skip treatment. I was very worried about being infected with Covid-19 due to my compromised immunity.

“It was mental torture and spiritually draining. My faith was put to the test. I am a Catholic who used to attend Mass six out of seven days a week. But during this time, I had to ride on other people’s faith.

“I would like to thank my family and friends for rendering the much-needed financial and moral support during that time,” she said.

Gadzirayi needed an escape route to lessen the pain during treatment.

“I love reading and writing, and so I started blogging about my situation. It was a source of hope for me and I guess for others out there,” she said.

“It became some sort of a coping mechanism for me.”

When she was diagnosed, Gadzirayi was pursuing her Master of Business Administration degree programme with the National University of Science and Technology.

She completed her dissertation while in a hospital bed in 2020.

Then in May of the same year, she went into remission, which is a decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms of cancer. It takes five years for a cancer patient who is in remission to be declared free from the ailment.

Whenever Gadzirayi goes for routine checks and the doctors confirm that she does not have any new cancer cells developing, she puts together a party every year in May to celebrate that milestone.

The medical organisation that was treating Gadzirayi, Oncocare, saw some outstanding traits in her and even offered her a job as their business development manager in 2021. She was more of an ambassador there, helping other cancer patients navigate the terrain. “Others made it, others didn’t, and seeing that every day was just too much for me,” she said.

Gadzirayi then decided to apply for a scholarship with the British government and pursued a double Masters in Management and Finance.

She then landed her current position last year.

Her mother, Peggy, describes Gadzirayi as someone made of steel.

“Of course, we made sure we played our part during her treatment. We had every family member’s head shaved, just like hers, so that she didn’t feel isolated during her chemotherapy sessions,” she said.

“She is a fighter. She has faith that moves mountains. She endured a lot of pain and I never imagined that one day she would be the chief executive officer of ZOC.”

While Gadzirayi is fully focused on a holistic approach to improve sport in the country, including giving the marginalised an opportunity to showcase themselves, she remains a beacon of hope for cancer patients.

“My advice remains simple. When you feel unwell, consult a doctor immediately,” said Gadzirayi. “I am an example of what not to do. Early diagnosis leads to early treatment and less costs,” she said.

X: @taddy3manyepo