Meet the Zimbabwean Karateka Who Has Won 20 Medals

Meet the Zimbabwean Karateka Simbarashe Tevera who has won twenty (20) medals in three years, he was a very unlikely karateka growing up. Simba’s mother took him for his first lesson in primary school to lose weight, but the sport did not grab him and he quit after that lesson.

”When I got to high school, I started doing cross-country and played basketball and soccer. In grade 10, I went back to karate and joined a friend who was passionate about it. Initially, I did it for the fitness but when I arrived at university, I fell in love with its value system. Character, ethics, loyalty, and honor are all good qualities an individual should have,” said Simba.

He reportedly joined the Wits All Styles Karate Club as a first-year student in 2012 and never looked back. At Wits, he is reading for a BA (honors) degree majoring in organizational psychology.  He has been the recipient of several academic awards, most notably the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.

In Simba’s three years of competing, he has won 11 gold, six silver and three bronze in tournaments ranging from the South African National Championships to the University Sports South Africa Tournament.

Earlier this year, he came back from an injury to compete in his first elite competition at national level, where he finished second in the kata division. After this he was selected for the South African national team to compete in the Africa Cup taking place in Johannesburg in September this year.

Simba said that being selected for a national side has always been his of my dreams. The key to this has been to work hard and make the necessary sacrifices. He feels that no person can reach the perfect balance. But if you work consistently hard every day and get into the habit of making the most out of the hours you have, then you will be successful.