Ananias Shikongo

Started: He took up athletics in 1996 at Eluwa Special School in Ongwediva, Namibia. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019) Reason: "It was part of the school curriculum." (Athlete, 11 Nov 2019) Milestones: At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, he became the first Namibian in any sport to win four career Paralympic medals. (SportsDeskOnline, 02 Jul 2024) At the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he became the first male Namibian to win a Paralympic gold medal in any sport when he triumphed in the men's T11 200m event. (SportsDeskOnline, 02 Jul 2024) Awards: He was named Sportsman of the Year with a Disability at the Namibian Annual Sport Awards in 2022 and 2023. (nbcnews.na, 29 Oct 2023; NamPower Facebook page, 22 Nov 2022) He was named as flag bearer for Namibia for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and 2018. (insidethegames.biz, 26 Jul 2022; thesouthafrican.com, 12 Apr 2018) He was given the Sporting Achievement Award and the Sportsman of the Year with a Disability Award at the 2016 Namibia Sports Commission Sports Awards. (insidethegames.biz, 31 Oct 2016) He received a sporting achievement award from Disability Sports Namibia in 2015. (namibiansun.com, 19 Oct 2015) He was Namibia's flag bearer at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique. (namibiasport.com.na, 19 Dec 2011) Additional Info: FOUNDATION In 2016 he co-founded the Sport on the Move Foundation, which aims to offer support to Namibian Para athletes. "I decided to enrol in a marketing course at a local university so as to acquire skills which would help me communicate better with authorities. There is very little awareness about Para sports and the change that it can bring for the impaired. I want to raise funds through the foundation to assist potential athletes, make them competition ready and that can only be possible if their day-to-day life is secure." (neweralive.na, 29 Oct 2020; sportonthemove.org, 30 Sep 2019; paralympic.org, 18 Sep 2019; southerntimesafrica.com, 02 Mar 2019) FURTHER EDUCATION In 2020 he completed a course in physiotherapy at the Nomad Institute in Windhoek, Namibia. "The struggles of an athlete are unending. We are put in the hands of so many physiotherapists and not all do a good job. At times we do not get the best massages during competitions and it affects performance. Now that I have been in good and bad hands, I feel I am in a better position to say what athletes need." (Sport on the Move Foundation Facebook page, 22 Feb 2020; thenational.ae, 14 Nov 2019; thepatriot.com.na, 03 Aug 2018)