Zimbabwean High Jumper Kudakwashe Chadenga Soars to New Heights
Kudakwashe Chadenga, a 22-year-old high jumper from Harare, has broken the Zimbabwean high jump record twice and is now training at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the United States, with his sights set on competing on the international stage.
Chadenga’s journey to becoming a record-breaking high jumper began at Prince Edward School in Harare, where he was first introduced to the sport in Form 1.
At that time, he showed some promise, but he didn’t truly excel until he was in Form 4. It was then that he started to win competitions and notice significant improvements in his performance.
Before discovering his talent for high jumping, Chadenga pursued sprinting at David Livingstone Primary School. However, he soon realized that sprinting wasn’t his strength. “The uncomfortable reality hit me – I wasn’t as fast as I thought. That’s when I switched focus to high jump,” he explained.
Chadenga credits his older brother, Munyaradzi Chadenga, for playing a pivotal role in his development as a high jumper.
Chadenga’s decision to train at LSU has proven to be a turning point in his career. “Training at LSU has helped me immensely because I am surrounded by the best. The environment pushes me to constantly improve,” he said.
Despite his success, Chadenga acknowledges the challenges faced by Zimbabwean athletes, including the lack of consistent support from the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ). “The biggest challenge for me and many of my fellow athletes is that we aren’t supported consistently by NAAZ or other committees. They mainly reach out when we’ve achieved something significant,” Chadenga noted.
One of Chadenga’s most memorable moments came when he broke the Zimbabwean high jump record twice. “My most memorable moment was breaking the Zimbabwean record two years ago. I broke it twice and I had to remind myself how long it had taken for others to do the same. It felt like the record had been waiting for me,” he said.
As Chadenga continues to soar to new heights, he remains committed to inspiring young athletes back home. “My goal is to become a professional high jumper and compete on the international stage, bringing home a medal,” he declared.
