There are some beautiful stories that come out of teenagers leaving their home and family to pursue a dream here in America. Kirsty Coventry gives us one of those almost too fantastic to believe stories. She is an athlete that provides hope to an entire country .....
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe Kirsty realized in high school that she loved swimming, enough so that she wanted to go to the United States to try and achieve goals not possible in her native country. She had never heard of a school called 'Auburn' until she spoke with some of her older swimming countrymen who had swam in America. In fact, she and her current Texas coach Kim Bracken still laugh about Kim's visit to Zimbabwe to recruit Kirsty. It was winter and Kim didn't understand that pools in Zimbabwe aren't heated, making it almost impossible to train year-round, yet she had come to watch Kirsty swimso, eager to please, Kirsty hopped in a pool and swam for a while, until she turned blue. It's not only a funny story, but also reveals the different world in which Kirsty grew up. A world in which she has been declared a 'national treasure' and has a high a profile as possible.
Kirsty Leigh Coventry (born September 16, 1983 in Harare, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States.[5] At the 2004 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece, Coventry won three Olympic medals: a gold, a silver, and a bronze and in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing she won four medals: a gold and three silver.
She was subsequently described by Paul Chingoka, head of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, as "our national treasure".
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has called her "a golden girl,"and awarded her US$100,000 in cash for her 2008 Summer Olympic Games performance.
Engagements
Digby & Shannon Van Breda have great pleasure in announcing that their daughter Wendy - Jayne Hargreaves and Wayne Viljoen son of Brian and Shirley Viljoen of Bulawayo were engaged on Friday 22nd August 2008 in the UK.
Engagement Notice: John and Wallis Sullivan are very pleased to announce the engagement of their eldest son Michael John to Sophie Anne Rees Oliviere in London. Sophie is the eldest daughter of David and Josette Rees Oliviere. The wedding will take place on the 25th October in London.
Email contact: mikejohnsully @yahoo .com
HOWARD/MAIDWELL (WOOD)
To Den & Nix, a bouncing baby boy - Damien Dennis, Born 22 August 2008 in Peterborough UK.
Gail,Les, Bev & Dave are over the moon & proud Grandparents.
Dave and Janice THURLOW are chuffed to welcome grandson Zac MacKinnon Thewlis to the clan.
Shannon and son are well and home in Buckingham, UK.
Verity and Peter Mundy would like to invite you to
a MEMORIAL SERVICE
for SUSAN CUBITT
(28 July 1917 - 25 August 2008)
on
Friday 5th September at 3.30pm
in the
Chapel of Church of the Ascension
Leander Road, Hillside, Bulawayo.
We still need confirmation from the Church but will advise if there are any changes.
Should you wish to make a donation, Susan would have liked us to help the SPCA and we will have a collection dish for them.
CONDOLENCES
It is with such great sadness to inform friends of the death of Marj Wilson after being shot at her home in Johannesburg on Friday morning, 29th August. Dave was also shot but survived and is in the Flora Clinic.
We are still in shock as the Wilsons have been our very dear friends for many,many years and know how they are loved and respected by many people in Zimbabwe.
Neal and Jenny Leach
CONDOLENCES
PAM EASTON passed away at Barbara Burrell on the eve of 27 August 2008.
A service will be held at the home at a date to be advised.
Kathy MacDonald, A P Glendinning
Our beloved friend Pam Easton has died after a long hard illness. She was living in Barbara Burrell home and there will be a memorial service on the 7th September at the home.
Pam's life was one of excellence, she nursed after the war in the far east and will be remembered here for the wonderful work she did supervising the various clinics around Bulawayo.
She was also a long standing member of St Mary's Anglican Church in Famona.
We will miss her.
God Speed Pam
Dave and Judith Smith
CONDOLENCES
WHALEY - WILLIAM RAE - "SAM"
03 / 10 / 1914 - 08 / 08 / 08
Dearly loved Uncle of Moira and Myles, and great uncle of Matthew, Peter and Andrew
"The busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over, and your work is done".
Rest peacefully, Uncle Sam.
If a flower does not remind you of the eternal Truth, then it has not fulfilled
its purpose.
-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-
There is really nothing you must be. And there is nothing you must do. There is really nothing you must have. And there is nothing you must know. There is really nothing you must become. However it helps to understand that fire burns, and when it rains the earth gets wet. --Japanese Zen Scroll
"Once you have faced fear and prevailed, you stand taller, feel stronger and stride through life with greater confidence." ANON
Some people are like slinkies, they don't really have a purpose, but they
still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
Comes The Dawn
After a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child
And you learn to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
with every goodbye you learn...
1971 by Veronica A. Shoffstall
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