At the age of 12, Tanyarazwa Muzinda, or Tanya, is already an accomplished motocross rider from Harare, Zimbabwe. A driven and inspirational girl who has been tackling a sport that is widely considered a “boy’s domain” since she was 5 years old. Tanya’s story is one of ambition and hard work.
Why do you race motocross and where does your drive come from?
I race motocross because when I was young, my dad used to take me on his motorcycle. It was a great feeling. After my first experience and exposure on the bike, I went back and got faster and faster until I did not want to get off. It was after competing in about five to six races that I finally made it to the third position. And since that day, I always wanted to be on the podium.
Most people think that you can’t do it because it is only a sport for boys and I am a girl, but I want to show them that you can do anything. To the girls out there who will be reading this, I would like to tell them [not to] be discouraged by people who will tell you that you are too weak to do this and not strong enough, or you are too girlish. If I can do this, then you too will succeed.
What do you feel most proud of?
When I see young girls and boys coming up to me and saying, “You are my inspiration and I want to do motocross because of you.” That really makes me feel proud of myself. I am very happy to have the opportunity to do this. I know it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Through this whole experience of riding, I have learnt that motocross is not just a sport but it teaches you life lessons. That if you want to go on this line it’s going to be rough, so you have to try and find a smooth lane.
Just like in life, if you can’t succeed, you try again until you go to the right place.
Tanya Muzinda with Interviewer M’thunzi Mwanzwa-Madaba
Help Tanya achieve her goal with #TeamTanya.
