“Ungaze Ulahle Ithemba”
EKUZALWENI kwakhe, uWilma Rudolph wayenqinile yaye enkenenkene. Yaqengqeleka yada yamine iminyaka engekakwazi ukuhamba. Wandula ke wagula ngokungaginyisi mathe enefiva egwangqa nokukrala kwemiphunga. Nangona waphilayo, wafa umlenze wasekhohlo. Ekubeni wayeqinisekile ukuba uWilma angahamba, unina waphulula lo mlenze ungasebenziyo yaye wafundisa abathathu kubantwana bakhe abadadlana ukuba benze okufanayo. Ngoko babetshintshisana mihla le “ekuphululeni uWilma.”
Xa uWilma wayeneminyaka esibhozo, wakwazi ukuhamba esebenzisa iintsimbi zokulungelelanisa umlenze. Kungekudala wayezibalekela phaya yaye ezidlalela. Wayezimisele ukuboyisa ubulwelwe bakhe. Wancedwa kukwenza umthambo nalicebiso likanina lokuba: “Ungaze ulahle ithemba.”
UWilma akazange alilahle. Kwaye ngowe-1960, kwimidlalo yeOlimpiki eyayiseRome, eItali, wazuza iimbasa ezintathu zegolide. Waphumelela kugqatso lomgama oziimitha ezili-100 nezingama-200 ibe waphuma phambili kwinxalenye yokugqibela yogqatso lothathelwano (relay) lweemitha ezingama-400.
Ebudeni bemfazwe yehlabathi yokuqala, xa wayeyinkwenkwana eneminyaka esixhenxe, uGlenn Cunningham watsha kakubi emilenzeni. Wachitha iinyanga elele ngendlu ibe waxelelwa ukuba kusengenzeka angaze aphinde ahambe kwakhona. Yonke imihla unina wayephulula izihlunu ezenzakeleyo yaye embongoza ukuba ahambahambe aze ke abaleke. UGlenn akazange alahle ithemba. Enyanisweni, ekugqibeleni waphuma phambili kugqatso lweemitha ezili-1 600 izihlandlo ezingama-21 kwezingama-31 lwangaphakathi kwiMadison Square Garden. Yaye, ngowe-1934, wamisela irekhodi yehlabathi kugqatso lweemitha ezili-1 600.
Ngamathuba athile ebomini sonke sijamelana nemiqobo ethile edimazayo. Ngokufuthi iba yingxaki yempilo. Kunokulahl’ ithemba ngelithi soyisiwe, hayi indlela ekuluncedo ngayo ukuzimisela ukungalahli ithemba! Ethetha ngemigudu yokomoya umpostile uPawulos wabhala oku: ‘Asethi amandla [“Asilahli themba,” NW].’ “Nokuba umntu wethu wangaphandle [umzimba wethu wemvelo] uya esonakala, usuka yena owangaphakathi aye ehlaziyeka [okanye enikwa amandla amatsha] imihla ngemihla.”—2 Korinte 4:16.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 31]
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