The Sunday Mail
Ellina Mhlanga
ZIMBABWEAN track star Vimbayi Maisvorewa’s move to the United States appears to be paying off as she continues to make remarkable strides in her athletics career.
Maisvorewa received the Senior Women Athlete of the Year gong at the 2023 National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) Awards held in January.
Reflecting on her crowning moment, she said it was a symbol of hard work.
“It means a lot to me and the award symbolises my hard work, dedication and perseverance,” she said.
“I thank my coaches and everybody who has supported me on this track and field journey. Above all, I thank God for the opportunities that He is giving me.
“I was not expecting it, but I was excited when they informed me about the award.
“In 2023, I had a very successful season at Cloud County Community College as I became the Indoor National Champion in 400 metres.
“I ran my personal best times, broke a couple of school and Zimbabwe national records in the 400m race.
“Signing with Auburn track and field was also a major highlight for my 2023 season.”
The Rusape-born athlete moved to the US on an athletics scholarship in 2022 and joined Cloud County Community College.
She ran for Cloud County for two years prior to enrolling at Auburn University.
In February 2022, she set a new women’s national 400m indoor record with a time of 54.65 seconds at the National Junior College Athlete Association Region VI Championships at Pittsburg in Kansas, US
A few weeks later, she went on to break her own record with 53.86 seconds
Before that, the previous record was 54.91 seconds, set by Larissa Bakasa in 2004 during her time at Texas Christian University in the US.
“Since I moved to the United States of America, I have seen significant progress in my athletics career and I am very proud of myself.
“I have contributed to the success of my teams here, and embraced new training methods.
“They have positively influenced my overall performance and growth in track. I am so thrilled and grateful,” she said.
“The transition from training in Zimbabwe to training and competing in the USA has brought differences due to the level of resources, coaching and the overall competition intensity.
“I have had an improved training experience due to the advanced facilities. l would say it’s generally a more competitive and challenging environment.
“This has impacted on my development as an athlete,” added Maisvorewa.
In 2017, the former Hillcrest College learner reached the finals at the World Under-18 (Youth) Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, and finished sixth.
However, she is now focusing more on the 400m race.
“I represented Zimbabwe at international level a number of times and scooped some medals. One of the major competitions that I attended was the Youth World Championships in 2017, where I finished sixth in the 800m race.
“I tried a lot, but the 400m race has become my favourite. That’s why I decided to focus on that.
“I fell in love with the sport because it introduced me to incredible individuals, who have become a second family to me.
“In 2022, I got a scholarship at Cloud County CC in the US and I have been pursuing my athletics and academic career there ever since,” said Maisvorewa.
Just like most athletes, Maisvorewa is hoping to make the cut for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“Since it’s the Olympic year, my goal is to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. I am sure I will qualify for that. My coach and I have been working together towards this goal.
“I am taking it one step at a time and as such, I am currently focusing on a few key competitions. My plan is to make it to the Olympics,” said Maisvorewa.
