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Zambia's athletics coach Douglas Kalembo revealed how he helped Muzala Samukonga overcome a difficult situation, acting as a parent figure, to ultimately secure a bronze medal in the 400m at the Paris Olympic Games.
Zambia’s Athletics coach Douglas Kalembo has revealed the worrying situation he found Muzala Samukonga in and how they worked together to finally attain an Olympic medal.
In an exclusive interview with Citius Mag, the veteran tactician explained that Muzala Samukonga was in a desperate situation and he had to take up the responsibility of being like a parent to the Zambian 400m star.
The coach added that he was willing to do anything for Muzala Samukonga and they fought hard to make it to the top. At the Paris Olympic Games, the 21-year-old was in a class of his own as he won a bronze medal in the 400m, finishing third behind Quincy Hall and Matthew Hudson-Smith.
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“When I found him, he was in a difficult situation. It was bad and sometimes it gives me emotions. He said, ‘Coach, if you do anything for me, I will be able to do something for you.’ I had to take over as a parent, as a brother – I was everything to him to make sure he could survive,” Douglas Kalembo said.
“I told him, ‘I will do everything for you, spend anything for you. Just let me know. I will do it. If your parents need anything, I will be there for you. Let’s fight to be able to change everything. I want to change your mother's life, your father's life, and all your siblings’ lives. I want to do that. That is my goal’,” he added.
Douglas Kalembo explained that Muzala Samukonga was young then and they used to watch Michael Johnson’s races. The eight-time world champion is one of the greatest 400m runners in the world and watching him inspired Samukonga a lot.
The coach detailed the many sacrifices they made including travelling to where he lived to pick him up for training and ensuring he had food.
“That’s how we met and how we started working. He was just a young kid then. I brought him in and shared stories about MJ. Watching him was always inspiring to me. I told him that he could change things and he was able to do it. It was a bad situation, but we made it good. Everyone in Zambia now looks up to him, as he shows that if you are determined, you can do it,” he added.
“We worked tirelessly. I made sure he had lunch and he would get some for supper too. We did that throughout the year. His story is very inspiring. I get emotional thinking about it because I never thought someone like him could do what he did.”
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