A guide has the athlete's eyes - ShimandaThe guides to the Paralympic athletes have an important role to play, say Sam Shimanda. Shimanda speaks about his role 0 “As a guide you have to be cognisant of the fact that the person you are with cannot see so, you are his or her eyes,” this were the words 400m Paralympic guide Sam Shimanda.While speaking to Namibian Sun recently, Shimanda narrated his story of being a guide and his passion for athletics.
The 22-year-old athlete said while running as an individual athlete in Oshakati, his friend David Ndeilenga and Johannes Nambala introduced him to Paralympics.
Ndeilenga who is also a guide and sprinter said, Nambala asked Shimanda in 2013 if he did not want to be a guide for some of the visual impaired athletes.
“They told me that there are athletes that do not have guides so I can join them and train together so I joined them but then I didn’t even know how to guide and really felt like it was just too difficult for me,” he said.
After a few days of training, Shimanda mastered the technique and now he enjoys running besides the Para-athletes.
“Being a guide is not something hard as some people might look at it because, wherever you are going you are together and you have to do the same thing, to also get the technique,” he alluded.
He added that if an athlete and guide do not work together then it will be hard for them to cope on the track which is why the two even have to train together.
“When we are running 400m and we are approaching a curve I have to tell the athlete so you have to talk because the athlete cannot see and does not know so you have to communicate from the beginning that we are starting, now we are reaching a curve and now we are about to cross so, communication is also important,” he said.
He explained that it is important for a guide to communicate with the athlete and also a good relationship, noting that the guide has to give directions to avoid them going in different directions and bumping into each other, “because if you don’t, the athlete will go in a different direction and when you try to catch up with the rest of the athletes they are gone.”
Shimanda is a happy man and said he also ran with Shikongo at the All Africa Games in the 100, 200 and 400m scooping gold medals in all the events and now a bronze medal from the just ended Paralympic Games.
He is now being called a special guide because he normally guides athletes competing in 400m races.
“I enjoy being a guide now, even though I really thought it was difficult. I appreciate working next to this athletes and guiding them to the finishing line,” he said, adding that it makes him a proud Namibian.
Although he is now considered a special guide, he still does not know how it happened to be a “good” guide.
He explained that the coach usually tests guides by allowing them to run with different athletes, “So, he is still the one that decides which athlete you are going to run with, in what event because in my case individual races I used to run 400 and 800m but guiding I go for the 400m, and know they are even calling me a special guide because that is the only event I guide.”
Athletics career
Shimanda still competes as an individual athlete in different competitions, specialising in 400 and 800 m.
“I started athletics at the age of 12 as an individual athlete and competed in 400, 200 and 100m so I would always make it to regional and then national competitions in Windhoek but I just realised that 400 and 800m are my favourites,” he said.
He is now employed in the Namibia Police Force, and does athletics both as a guide and individual athlete.
Meanwhile, national Paralympic coach Mike Hamukwaya explained the importance of a guide and efforts to get more specialised guides.
He said although there are just the four experienced guides that they normally use, there others around the country.
“We have others that are guiding our younger athletes already but the four are the most experienced as they have been with this athletes for some years,” he said.
He mentioned that there is vast interest from athletes who would like to help out the visual impaired athletes.
Hamukwaya said with the interest shown by a lot of athletes, the Paralympic committee now works together with Athletics Namibia (AN). “So because AN usually hosts events around the country and different clubs take part they have now decided that in all their events they will have an event for people with disabilities and through those events a lot of athletes are seeing them our visual impaired athletes.
“From those events that is when they approach our athletes so when we host our national games, that at times we have visual impaired athletes coming from as far as Zambezi without guides we then use those young guides,” he said.
He indicated that for one to be chosen as a guide they must have proven themselves that they are able to assist the athlete and are always together and not only when on the track.
“It is now no more just about guiding on the track but be together with the athlete throughout and even during his private space that sometimes you get to a place and the athlete does not know so the guide has to be the eyes that even when going to eat the guide should be able to make sure he directs the athlete to get food so that he or she can also enjoy the meal,” he explained.
He further explained that there is a lot of responsibility involved in being a guide as the issue of trust also plays a crucial role.
KAINO NGHITONGO