MARIA MUTOLA

On Tuesday I got to finally meet the infamous Maria Mutola. She visited the Foundation to review the financial statements and get a general update on the progress of all the projects.

She is very unassuming. She greeted each and every one of us with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Her elegant clothes concealed her well defined muscles beneath. She spoke in perfect English, due to the fact that she has lived many years in America and South Africa. In fact, there is a myth that many Mozambicans perpetuate that she cannot speak Portuguese fluently. Unfortunately I cannot confirm or refute the claim, but I can understand where it comes from since she speaks English so well, and in all the time she was in the office I did not hear her revert to Portuguese which was a pleasant change for me since I am still learning the language.

There were subtle characteristics about Maria that I found endearing. For example, when she entered the board room and was ushered to the large chair setup at the head of the table, she commented “I can sit anywhere.”

When the Directors were going over the results of the Foundation with Maria Mutola she spoke up and asked intelligent questions about the Projects. She had done her research and read the literature on the Projects which was sent to her in advance of the meeting.

I am told that Maria Mutola will be visiting the Foundation more often from now on, given the fact that she has retired from professional running (after Beijing Olympics) so I am looking forward to hopefully getting a picture with her before I leave.