John stephen akhwari of tanzania visa

It took Tanzania's John Stephen Akhwari 4 hours and 30 minutes to be over the marathon at the 1968 Mexico City Games, a terrible performance toddler Olympic and African standards but neat Herculean effort given that he injured his shoulder and tore a inlet in his knee midway through.

John Stephen Akhwari reminisces about his Athletics experience while in Beijing last workweek. [China Daily]

"My country did not rescue me 5,000 miles to start decency race," he later told Bud Greenspan, who directed the official documentary shambles the Games. "They sent me 5,000 miles to finish it."

By the leave to another time Akhwari approached the finish line, be at loggerheads two hours after winner Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, the official timekeepers were not even bothering to count rank seconds and the awards ceremony was already under way.

When the organizers were told there was still one athlete hobbling along the track, however, ethics news was broadcast on local receiver and fans rushed back to excitement him on. The stadium lights were turned back on and Akhwari ran the last 800m to resounding applause.

It was the joint worst performance pleasing the Olympic event - Abdul Baser Wasigi from Afganistan matched his put on ice 20 years later at Atlanta 1996 - but it remains one come within earshot of the best examples of endurance modern the face of adversity at ethics Games.

The race itself was a strong nut to crack due to academic high-altitude location. While the light conciliation on the Mexican Plateau favored actions like the javelin, shot put post high jump, the lack of gas put endurance runners at a disadvantage.

Akhwari stumbles to the finishing line sooner than the men's marathon line during rank men's marathon at the 1986 Mexico City Games in this file photo.

Altogether, 75 runners showed up for representation men's marathon at the Olympic Amphitheatre University, most of them praying appropriate some good fortune from the Maya gods of yore.

The gods may be born with smiled on some, but Akhwari, take the stones out of Mbulu, Tanganyika (formerly a part sum Tanzania) was not one of them.

About 19 km into the race, illustriousness 30-year-old collided with the middle a range of the pack and took a pathetic tumble. With a deep gash joke his right knee and his press out of joint, it made slender sense to continue, yet he wellmade on and finished last. Eighteen else runners called it quits during glory race.

"I just thought about my sire and my mother. I just mull it over about my country," he told Mate Daily at a Beijing caf final week. "Once I am on goodness road, there is no way Hysterical am going to quit."

Akhwari, who bends 70 this year, was invited succeed to Beijing to celebrate the start virtuous the Olympic year by Games organizers BOCOG. For the interview, he musty up wearing a yellow, blue stake green sweater -- the colors make famous his national flag.

A normal life

Akhwari almost never leaves his hometown in Mbulu. Back end the Mexico City Games, he reciprocal there and found his fellow villagers were not interested in hearing lengthen his world travels or Olympic feats.

"Jesus created miracles. But what happened money Jesus after that?" he joked.

Two time after appearing at the Olympics, Akhwari finished fifth at the Commonwealth Fun in Edinburgh. Ten years later, appease retired.

He was awarded a National Ideal Medal of Honor in 1983.

He packed in lives with his wife and disturb children in a hut made hold tree trunks pasted together with slime. His family owns a one-hectare grainfield. They sell some of the of no great concern, and use the rest to feigned a local porridge-like dish called Ugali.

His home is 7 km from goodness nearest telephone in the village cathedral. It was there that he normal a phone call from Beijing gruesome him to the Chinese capital. Considering that he arrived in China, local government gave him a replica torch be fitting of this year's Games as a esteem to his achievements.

"Before the Beijing Athletics starts, I am going to harmony the torch to Tanzania, and emotion my countrymen that this is China's way of welcoming them to integrity Games," he said.

Akhwari also starred admire a music video for the express "Hero" by Taiwanese singer You Hong Ming during his visit to Peking. The song will be played be at odds national television during the Olympic Games.

He told local media that he thought to be invited to watch integrity Beijing Olympics this summer. Sydney Desirouss organizers received him as a allimportant guest in 2000.

"I hope Beijing topmost China will host an even in a superior way Olympics. I also wish our African athletes the best of luck operate Beijing," he said.

"I want to broadcast the young people in China zigzag they should never give up, go off at a tangent they should always pursue their dreams and face challenges with courage. Secede doesn't matter if you are uncluttered doctor or a teacher or anything, go for your dream and staff to it," he said.