WATCH: Flashback Friday - Olympic legend Eric Moussambi's story will leave you inspired
We take a moment to talk about a legendary Olympic swimmer, Eric Moussambani, from Equatorial Guinea.
We all have our own special memories of the Olympics, whether that means getting nostalgic about times that you and your family sat and watched it together, or remembering the pride that you felt as a South African when a compatriot won a medal.
When it comes to this world sporting event that has many athletes working the most part of their lives preparing for, it can be said that it is both an honour and a personal accomplishment to be a part of the Olympics.
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For Eric Moussambani Malonga, his experience was a bit different. He only learnt how to swim eight months before he got an opportunity to participate at the Olympics in the year 2000.
Eric was only privy to training in a swimming pool at a hotel in his home country of Equatorial Guinea, which a small country in the middle of Africa. The pool that he had access to at the hotel was just a mere 15 square meters. He had never seen an Olympic-sized pool, nor did he ever swim in one close to that size.
Due to an Olympic Solidarity Programme that was offering athletes from developing countries the opportunity to participate in the Olympics, he was given a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
At the 100m qualifying, his two opponents were disqualified for jumping into the pool too early, which left him competing alone. All the odds were against him, but he strived on and with the fans cheering him on, he completed his heat at the slowest time, 1:52:72. But all that didn't matter, because he won!
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Check out the video of him doing his lap, the moment he became the winner, even though all the odds were against him.
Courtesy of YouTube:
WATCH the interview with Eric Moussambani done by the Olympics (Courtesy of YouTube):
Image Courtesy of Instagram