Zimbabwe is making history at this year’s Olympics.
Teenager Donata Katai will be the African country’s first Black swimmer to be sent to the international athletic competition.
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Zimbabwean Teenager Becomes Her Nation’s First Black Swimmer In the Olympics |
“There’s a lot of people of color that take part in the sport [in Zimbabwe]. It’s kind of becoming normal for me in Zimbabwe,” Katai said. She also touched on fellow Olympic swimmer Simone Manuel. Manuel is an American swimmer who is the first Black female swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal.
Katai said, “I feel like we swim in very different environments because in America there are not many people of color that swim. In Zimbabwe, the majority of people that swim at the moment are people of color. I guess her story would be very different from mine.”
Katai has no other emotion but excitement about the Games. “I think it’s (the Olympics) going to be like sort of a movie,” she told AP. “It’s going to be unreal. Being around a lot of people I watch on TV, look up to in a way, then be right there in front of me, being able to watch them.”
She said, “I think it’s going to be an unreal experience for me, but definitely one I’m looking forward to.”