The Sunday Mail
Bright Zhawi
One thing Collen Peter has embraced is that hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but without it there is little chance of success.
That said, it comes as little surprise that the UZ Wolves volleyball star had little rest after the Zone VI Championships where they came second in South Africa last December.
Work towards Wolves’ participation the African Volleyball Club Championships slated for Tunisia this May began in earnest way before the holidays for the 24-year-old.
“My goal this year is to take every gold medal in front of me, be it local, regional or international tournaments,” said the middle-blocker.
“I’ve been training since last year mid-December with some of my teammates because I know nothing comes easy.
“If you want something you should work hard for it, even going in that extra mile,” said Peter. His UZ Wolves coach Munya Mavima describes Peter as a ‘mature’ and level headed player.
“He is one calm guy under pressure, and that helps the team not to panic but concentrate on the issue at hand.
“He brings maturity to the team and exquisite centre attacks that assist the team gain momentum in some situations when the team really needs such,” said UZ Wolves coach Munya Mavima on Peter.
Off the field, Peter is a comic and by his own admission he has to regulate his cartoon-watching time.
“Off-the court he is just a people’s person very funny and hardly takes anything seriously,” said Peter’s team mate Keith Machakaire. Perhaps the best description is the one Collen gives of himself.
“I enjoy myself more at volleyball and that has sort of made me become the kind of person my teammates can trust.
“There are also a crazy bunch.
“My captain (Tafadzwa Keni) is the main instigator and I think he should stop watching cartoons.”
The 24-year-old is studying for a degree in Media and Journalism and is eager to be in the newsroom for his attachment this year. “Studying journalism and media studies is fun. I applied for the programme because I knew it would give me the opportunity to understand the world in different ways,” he said.
Peter considers the start of his volleyball journey as a coincidence but is grateful to those who helped propel him up to this stage. “I started playing volleyball after I was invited by a friend, Stanford Chigon’a, when we were in form one at Kuwadzana High 1.
“I enjoyed my first training with coach Gilbert Chikwanha and I still remember his statement that ‘young man, don’t waste this height’.
“He encouraged me to continue attending training because he saw a lot of potential in me”.
