“Ungadangali”

LAPHO ezalwa, uWilma Rudolph wayezacile futhi egula njalo. Waze waba neminyaka emine engakakwazi ukuhamba. Khona-ke wabe esegula ebangwa nezibi ngenxa yemfiva eyenza isikhumba sibe bomvu kanye nepneumonia. Nakuba engafanga, umlenze wakhe wangakwesobunxele wakhubazeka. Ezimisele ukuthi uWilma wayezohamba, unina wahlikihla umlenze wakhe ozacile futhi wafundisa nezingane zakhe ezintathu ukuba zenze okufanayo. Ngakho kwakushintshwana kane ngosuku “ngokuhlikihla uWilma.”

Lapho uWilma eneminyaka eyisishiyagalombili, wayesekwazi ukuhamba ngensimbi ephasa umlenze. Ngokushesha wayesegijima futhi edlala. Wayezimisele ukubhekana nokukhubazeka kwakhe. Ukuvivinya umzimba kwamsiza, kanye neseluleko sikanina: “Ungadangali.”

UWilma akazange adangale. Futhi ngo-1960, kumaOlympic eRome, eItaly, wathola izindebe zegolide ezintathu. Wanqoba emncintiswaneni wokugijima amamitha angu-100 nangu-200 futhi waba ngowokuqala engxenyeni yokugcina yokugijima amamitha angu-400 kurelay.

Phakathi nempi yezwe yokuqala, lapho ewumfana oneminyaka eyisikhombisa, uGlenn Cunningham wahlushwa izilonda zokusha ezazisemilenzeni yakhe ezazisongela ukuphila. Wachitha izinyanga eziningi elele embhedeni futhi watshelwa ukuthi kungenzeka angabe esakwazi ukuhamba. Nsuku zonke unina wayebhocabhoca izinyama zakhe ezilimele bese emkhuthaza ukuba ahambe bese egijima. UGlenn akazange adangale. Empeleni, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi waphumelela emijahweni yemayela engu-21 kwengu-31 ogijinyelwa ngaphakathi eMadison Square Garden. Futhi, ngo-1934, waqopha umlando womhlaba wokugijima imayela.

Ngezinye izikhathi ekuphileni sonke sibhekana nokuhluleka okunhlobonhlobo. Ngokuvamile kuba okohlobo oluthile lwempilo. Esikhundleni sokuvumela ukuhluleka, yeka indlela okukuhle ngayo ukuzimisela ukungadangali! “Asidangali,” kubhala umphostoli uPawulu ngokuphathelene nemizamo engokomoya. “Kodwa noma kubhubha umuntu wethu wangaphandle [umzimba wethu wenyama], owangaphakathi wenziwa-musha [noma unikezwa amandla obusha] imihla ngemihla.”​—⁠2 Korinte 4:⁠16.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]

UPI/Bettmann Newsphotos