Meet Nyasha, Global Athlete Representative from Africa!
Hailing from Harare, Zimbabwe Nyasha Derera was voted Chairperson of the Special Olympics Global Athlete Congress by fellow athletes during the Congress held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in November 2018. As such, he is a member of the Special Olympics Board of Directors.
By being a Global Health Messenger, he advocates for health and fitness by teaching healthy habits and everyday fitness.
Nyasha is an accomplished short and long distance runner. He hold an impressive record of 17 gold medals, six silver medals and one bronze medal at the national level. He attained one bronze medal at the 2015 World Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, USA. Additionally, he has received numerous certificates for his athletic achievements.
Nyasha’s independent spirit was shaped by losing his mother at the age of two and never knowing his father. His grandmother took care of him until 2017 and now he lives with his uncle.
At an early age he was labeled “crazy” and put in special classes where he was stigmatized and isolated without friends.
He was motivated to train in athletics by himself and volunteered to patriciate on the school team. The first time he competed, he didn’t perform well and was told by other students that he was “useless.” This led him to train even harder.
When he competed in his next race, he came in first place! Nyasha went on to represent his district, province and qualified for the nationals. Through this excellence, Nyasha finally found acceptance.
In 2012, Nyasha joined Special Olympics as a competitor in athletics when the program was introduced at his school. After winning an impressive amount of medals, he was selected to represent Zimbabwe at the 2015 World Games in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Joining Special Olympics helped give him the Nyasha’s confidence to become a school leader. He started by sharing his inspiration story with younger students. He now is a motivational speaker spreading a message of hope, inclusion and setting goals. He volunteers at schools his district and community providing competitive readiness training and tools to become an effective athlete and student. His other volunteer activities include officiating at soccer and athletic competitions.
By being named a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger, Nyasha hopes to become a voice of the voiceless. He believes that because he has faced many life challenges and went on to achieve many successes, he can use this opportunity to inspire others. His dream is to attend a university and attain a degree that will allow him to make a big difference in people lives.
