Cape Town - “I dedicate my medal to my son and my mom,” Luvo Manyonga told the cameras after winning the silver medal in men's long jump at the Rio Olympics. “I hope they're watching.”
Seven thousand kilometres away, in a cramped lounge in Mbekweni township, an hour outside of Cape Town, Luvo's family erupted in cheers. They were watching him dedicate his victory to them yet again, in a TV rerun of his leap into Olympic history.
Luvo's mother, Joyce Manyonga, is a domestic worker. She raised Luvo and his older brother and sister on the income she earns cleaning houses.
“It was very difficult to raise Luvo up,” she said. “Raising three children as a domestic worker was very hard.”
Joyce squeezed between family members who had piled into her house to sit round a paraffin heater and rehash Luvo’s victory.
“I wish a bright future for him. He must go forward and never look back.”
In 2012, just as Luvo’s career was beginning to skyrocket, he failed a drug test which found he was a methamphetine (tik) user. He was banned from competing for 18 months.
Luvo's brother, Sivuyile Manyonga, explained how tik seduced the young athlete.
“It's a common drug, a cheap drug,” Sivuyile said. “For Luvo it was very hard, because he was coming from a poor background and he was earning too much money and he didn't know how to use the money, so that is why he was using it on drugs.”
Sivuyile was grateful that his brother seems to have finally kicked the habit.
“As his big brother I was trying to tell him what drugs are doing to a person who is busy with sports,” he said. “So thank God he did listen and he changed his life.” Luvo's sister, Vuyiseka, expressed the same relief. She said that while Luvo was on tik, his mother fell ill, and prayed every day that he would overcome the addiction.
“We love my brother very much. That’s why we didn’t stop trying until he was back on track,” Vuyiseka said. “When Luvo said he was going to Brazil, we didn't expect much. Even if he didn’t win any medal, just to go there, we were very happy for him.”
But now, he is a national hero, and nowhere is he more loved than in his home community, Vuyiseka said.
“My family are happy, and all of Mbekweni supports and loves Luvo.
Meanwhile, in house in nearby Paarl, one of the most instrumental people in Luvo’s success was glued to his television.
Former Irish Olympic rower John McGrath mentored Luvo after his coach, Mario Smith, was killed in a car accident in August 2014. McGrath also helped Luvo with explosive strength training.
“I believed in this kid since the second I met him,” McGrath said. “This kid is just the greatest jumper I’ve ever seen - the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen.”
He never had any doubt that he would be seeing his protégé on the Olympic podium.
“I had faith that Luvo was going to win a medal; the only question was what colour it was going to be,” he said.
But for all of his giftedness, Luvo still has immense obstacles to face – including the ghost of addiction.
“I hope he’s going to go on and do more, but I also expect he’s going to be challenged more,” Mc Grath said. “Those of us who have travelled the journey with Luvo are there to help him. We’ll all just keep our fingers crossed for him, love him and support him. That’s all we can do.”
Cape Argus