Grace Chirumanzu
Grace Varaidzo Chemhere Chirumanzu is an award-winning journalist, national women's full-contact karate champion and sports administrator with ten years' experience. She is one of the few experienced female sports journalists in a male dominated Zimbabwean sports media.
Background
Grace Chirumanzu was born in 1986 and raised in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. She was born to Sebastian and Blandina Chirumanzu together with her other four siblings (Nyasha, Betha, Yeukai and Munyaradzi). She is married to Joe Dzikiti and the couple is blessed with two children Ted (Boy) and Sasha (Girl).[1]
Education
- Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)Honors degree in Women and Gender Studies (2013 – 2016)
Christian College of Southern Africa
- Diploma in Mass Communication and Journalism (2005 – 2007)
Career
Grace is the founding editor of The Sports Queen online magazine, an initiative that seeks to tell the stories of women’s sport in Zimbabwe and celebrate the achievements of sporting champions, and Director of GVC Media (Pvt) Limited. Grace is an Alumni of the U.S Department of State and EspnW Global Sports mentorship program (GSMP). This program was ranked by the Public Diplomacy Council as one of the ten best diplomatic initiatives in the world. Grace has mentored 12 young female journalism students in sports media following the program theme to empower women and girls through sports. Grace plans to use her experience at the 2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship to propel her current businesses into an emerging continental media house that will give a fair share of the limelight to both male and female athletes.[2]
Grace is also a renowned karateka. She was to represent Zimbabwe in the sixth edition of the Kyokushin World Cup in Russia from 5 to 6 October 2019. She was to represent Zimbabwe in the women's under-65kgs, in a tourney that was to bring about 30 nations to compete.[3] Her dream of participating at this Karate World Cup tournament in Russia was shattered after she failed to raise the funds for the trip.[4]
Her participation at the Women in Sport Leadership Academy in Chichester, UK in 2018 reignited the passion that is sometimes energy sucked by Zimbabwe’s tough economic times. She is an ambitious young woman who dreams of making a difference in the Zimbabwean society and beyond. She believes in women and is inspired by women who are not drawn back by criticism from male chauvinists in the African society. Women should occupy decision-making positions to ensure gender balance, but as much as they must earn it they should not fail because they have been blocked for being women. Women are fighters, Women Can.
She was Zimbabwe Karate Union Media and Communication person for four years. It was a role that helped her use her media skills to promote the sport and contribute to its development in Zimbabwe. It was a role she loved and enjoyed so much as she understood the sport so well from her experience as an athlete and her experience in media as a sports journalist.
Experience
Founding Editor THE SPORTS QUEEN Jan 2016 – Present (4 years 5 months)
Sports journalist/ photographer Freelance Sports Journalist Feb 2015 – Present (5 years 4 months)
Sports Editor The Zimbabwe Mail Nov 2013 – Feb 2015 (1 year 4 months) Editing sports news. Writing sports reports, features, column and analysis
Awards
- Sportswoman of the Year at the ANSA awards in 2019
- Outstanding Sportswoman of the year award at the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards (ZIWA).
- Bronze medal at the 5th International Kyokushin Cup in Scotland
Picture Gallery
Videos
