MAKING HISTORY - JOHN STEPHEN AKHWARI

John Stephen did not bow out in 1968

He kept at it and fought his way to history

He immortalize his existence through courage

Pushing through the pains of falling

He fought his way up from behind

Making hero out of his ordinary life

By a display of a fighting spirit

In our quest to make a difference in our world

We sometimes face challenging situations and circumstances

And they may be so tough that our hope might be fading away

And people may even be advising us to just quit

But there is always a nudge within

A voice that don’t lie to us

Telling us this is not all there is…

Just one more step the hero will emerge

Just keep at it for you are closer than you started out

Listening to that inner voice of courage made a hero out of John Stephen

A Tanzania Athlete that will not quit.

He became famous, award winner and ambassador not for winning gold

But for not bowing-the-knee when things are tough.

For men of impact don’t cheap-in

Sharpen your edge for history

Read the various internet stories about John Stephen Akhwari and be INSPIRE

John Stephen Akhwari: The Greatest Last Place Finish in the Olympic History

John Stephen Akhwari

The story goes back to October 1968 when the first Olympic Games were being staged in Latin America. It was one of the hottest Sunday afternoons of Mexico City when men’s marathon started at 3:00 pm local time.

Out of 74 participants, 17 could not finish the race. At 7pm, it was almost an hour since all marathon runners had crossed the finishing line of 26 mile Olympic marathon in the grueling hot day, suddenly a lone runner wearing the colours of Tanzania emerged through the stadium gate literally hobbling. The event left the last few thousand audiences amazed with what they experienced next – the man emerged was John Stephen Akhwari who, while running, had fallen down and had badly hurt himself. He was bleeding and his knee had got dislocated from the joint.

Considering the severity of his injuries, Akhwari was repeatedly asked to quit the race but he denied. He fell, dragged himself, ran in between but finished the marathon limping over the line. On the finishing line, he received a huge applause and almighty cheers from the little crowd. His body was exhausted but not his spirit; his competitors crossed him one by one but his determination rewarded him in tremendous pain. Akhwari never won any Olympic gold medal but he became the greatest example ofnever-give-up spirit, and a tale of courage.

When he was asked the reason of doing such kind of crazy act, he replied,

“My country did not send me 10,000 miles just to start the race; they sent me to finish the race.”

Ever since, John Stephen Akhwari has been honored and symbolized as the living example of courage and determination. In 1983, he was awarded a National Hero Medal of Honor. In 2000, he was invited to the Olympics in Sydney, Australia and 2008 he was invited in Beijing as a goodwill ambassador to inspire the Olympic athletes for the 2008 Games.

IT WAS OCTOBER 20, 1968…

Today friend, I'd like to take your mind back to October 20, 1968. I invite you to come with me to the Mexico City, Olympic Stadium. The time, 7.00 P.M. The closing ceremonies had just been completed. The spectators and athletes, still warm from the euphoria of the celebration, were gathering their belongings to leave the stadium. Then the announcer asked them to remain in their seats. Down the boulevard came the whine of police sirens. From their vantage point, many in the stadium could see motorcycles with their flashing blue lights, encircling someone making his way toward the stadium. Whoever it was, he was moving slowly.  Everyone remained seated to see the last chapter of the Olympics take place. By the time the police escort got to the stadium, the public address announcer said that a final marathoner would be making his way into the arena and around the track to the finish line. Confusion was evident among the crowd. The last marathoner had come in hours ago. The medals had already been awarded. What had taken this man so long? But the first sign of the runner making his way out of the tunnel and onto the track told the whole story.  John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania, covered with blood, hobbled into the light. He had taken a horrible fall early in the race, whacked his head, damaged his knee, and endured a trampling before he could get back on his feet. And there he was, over 40 kilometres later, stumbling his way to the finish line.  The response of the crowd was so overwhelming, it was almost frightening. They encouraged Akhwari through the last few metres of his race with a thundering ovation that far exceeded the one given the man who, hours earlier, had come in first. When Akhwari crossed the finish line, he collapsed into the arms of the medical personnel who immediately whisked him off to the hospital.  The next day, Akhwari appeared before sports journalists to field their questions about his extraordinary feat. The first question was the one any of us would have asked, "Why, after sustaining the kinds of injuries you did, would you ever get up and proceed to the finish line, when there was no way you could possibly place in the race?" John Stephen Akhwari said this: "My country did not send me over 11,000 kilometres to start a race. They sent me over 11,000 kilometres to finish one."  Friend, I remember witnessing this amazing display of courage on October 20, 1968, and I have shared what John Stephen Akhwari said to the journalists to remind you that it is not enough to know where the finish line is; you have to also be prepared to crash through the quitting points you encounter on your way to it. So no matter what happens in your marathon, which is your life's journey, I encourage you to keep your hope alive! And the reason I say this, is because hope keeps you excited about the future - whatever your age-and therefore about the present.  Remember Winston Churchill's famous five-word speech? -- "Never, never, never give up!"  Hope on, my friend!