| ISAAC MENYOLI
Meet the Cameroon – by way of
Milwaukee – National Ski Team
By Greg Marr
Isaac Menyoli is a man with a mission. Actually, several missions all revolving around a single passion: cross country skiing.
His first mission was to qualify for the Olympics, and he has done that by completing five FIS Olympic qualifying races.
Menyoli is soon to be the first athlete from the African nation of Cameroon to compete in the Winter Olympics. He knows he will not win a medal but that leads directly to another mission: focusing attention on Africa in general and the plague of AIDS sweeping over the African continent. He will use his notoriety to bring awareness to Africa and the AIDS crisis.
Finally, Menyoli just loves cross country skiing, pure and simple, and he hopes a prominent black athlete enjoying a sport virtually devoid of minorities just might convince others that there's room in the sport for color.
 While Menyoli's story is inspiring by
itself, what makes it more interesting for us is a connection to the upper Midwest. Menyoli, who came to the U.S. as a student in 1993, now lives in Milwaukee, where he is an architect, and is being trained by famed XC coach Lee Borowski. Borowski was USSA Nordic Coach of the Year in 1989 and has coached a long line of champions, national Skiers–of–the–Year in Junior, Senior and Collegiate categories, and Masters skiers who have won both National and World Championships. It's Borowski most
famous pupil, ex–Olympian Luke Bodensteiner, now retired from racing and currently the Nordic director for the United States Ski Team, who brought the coach and Menyoli together.
"Luke got hold of me," Borowski recalls. Bodensteiner had been in contact with Menyoli and, with both coach and potential student living in the Milwaukee area, it was natural for Bodensteiner to steer Menyoli to
his former coach.
"I have to admit I wasn't too sure about it," Borowski says. Although the 29–year–old Menyoli has been skiing since the 1996–97 season, has had some success in citizen races and was reasonably fit, well, it's THE Olympics. "He just started serious ski training in August when he roller skied for the first time in his life, both striding and skating. He was really green and we were starting from scratch. His technique had a long
way to go. He had been training by running and biking and his general aerobics were good. Then we changed his training program and I have never seen anyone improve so much, technique–wise, in such a short time. He is as hard working as any skier I've ever coached. Miraculously, he has World Class technique both skating and striding at times, but has not been at it long enough to hold it consistently – especially when racing. But ... from the equator ... only casual skiing on
snow for a couple of years ... only training for skiing for a few months ... others have been doing this for 10 or more years, so winning a medal is not a realistic consideration."
It's hard to resist comparisons to the Jamacian bobsled team or the antics of ski jumper Eddie the Eagle, but we won't go there. Although the Jamacians and the Eagle were dedicated to their sports, Menyoli's passion and committment will keep away the comedic filmmakers.
That's not to say Menyoli is a dry, studious young man devoid of a sense of humor. Quite to the contrary, according to Borowski.
"He's an infectious person to be around. We spend so much time laughing and having a good time that it doesn't seem like a training session. We get the work done but have fun."
Imagine someone speaking with a laugh and a smile, punctuated with exclamation points, and you get a feel for a conversation with Menyoli.
"Ya, Lee, How can I say? He's a great guy!" according to Menyoli. "He was skeptical at first but he loved me! He saw how enthusiastic I was but that's me: I set my mind on something and just do it. Two years ago, people laughed at me when I said I was going to do the Olympics – and now I'm going."
What's impressive about Menyoli is that he's relatively new to skiing. In the winter of 1996–97, Mike Healy, a fellow architect, friend and
veteran Birkie skier, took Menyoli out skiing for the first time.
"He said I looked like a natural," Menyoli recalls, "and I just loved it! The next week I bought my own skis. I became passionate about skiing."
Menyoli believes there is a strong connection between architecture and skiing.
"I've been in architecture since I was 14. Landscape, spaces, terrain, light and wind, outdoors all interested me, and that's what skiing is all
about, too. During the summer I bike or run but in winter, I had to find something to get me outdoors and skiing was it."
Winter. Ah, yes. A Midwest winter can be a brutal thing (this winter aside), all the more so for a man raised in equatorial Africa – or so you'd think. Was it difficult for Menyoli to adjust?
No! I love cold and snow! I love it more than the Wisconsin people," he says with a laugh. "I hate summer! I prefer winter. Summer, I only love
biking. Can you imagine? Awful."
Menyoli's trip to the Olympics has been a time–consuming, and costly, journey – and that's away from the ski training. While Menyoli will be the first Cameroon to ski in the Olympics, the first African was Phillip Boit, skiing for Kenya in 1998. Inspired by Boit, Menyoli tried to contact him to find out how he made it to the Olympics.
"I wrote to Boit a couple of times but didn't hear back," recalls
Menyoli. "Then some people referred me to his manager."
With that, it was on to the Cameroon National Olympic Committe to obtain the necessary FIS authorization. The entire process took four months and came in just under deadline.
The process was lengthened by the fact that Menyoli pretty much had to explain what skiing is to a Cameroon NOC based in a region of the world where snow is the stuff of picture books. Take this "explanation"
of skiing from an article about Menyoli that appeared in a Cameroon newspaper:
"Winter sports are certainly not practiced in Cameroon. But for having lived in the USA since 1993, Issac Menyoli has got authorisation to defend the colours of Cameroon in skiing in the Salt Lake City winter Olympic next year. Skiing is simply the running on snow aided by several gears."
Menyoli, of course, knew that "running on snow" wouldn't do it. His
first race, the 43K at Badger State Games in 1999, Menyoli describes as "gruesome." He went on to a couple of Mora's short races and showed some significant imrpovement placing first in the 25–29 Adult Male Freestyle age group in the 21K at the 2000 Badger State Games.
At the Olympics, Menyoli will compete in the 10K Classical Men's Pursuit. Even he realizes it's unlikely he'll get past the qualifying round.
"That's just not realistic," says Borowski, "but to beat the Kenyan is. I
think it would be wonderful if Isaac were the top African at the Olympics, and there's a real possibility of that happening."
Getting to this point has been a mental, physical and financial struggle for Menyoli. Few cross country skiers from anywhere but Europe can expect their programs to be well–funded. For an African skier, much of the expense is out–of–pocket. Menyoli, for instance, can't even get a sponsor to provide a ski suit.
Borowski, who donates his time, recalls some of the problems Menyoli has had in his FIS race travels. In an e–mail to Borowski, Menyoli said:
"We drove 6 hours to Detroit on 14th and I slept for 30 minutes then got the visa to Canada on 15th and drove back 6 hours on 15th. Quite a story to tell."
"He is a citizen of Cameroon on a visa to the U.S.," points out Borowski, picking up the story. "So he found he needed a new visa for
Canada, and then a new visa to re–enter the States. Once in Canada, he had to fly to Calgary to get a visa to get back into the U.S. Then he had to fly back to Silverstar to get his normal flights back to Milwaukee. This is complicated by all the new security. It has already cost him an additional $3,000 dollars to get the new visa – lawyer's fees, etc. It's like a nightmare."
"He's a really a brave guy," adds Borowski. "It's not easy. He's all by
himeself out there. I used to see him maybe three times a week but when he was racing, we'd talk by phone a half–hour to an hour a day. He's serious about doing well."
Now that the worst is over, Menyoli can concentrate on the Olympics – that is, if he can find the time between his job and requests for interviews. Now that he has made the Olympics, Menyoli's other goal – using his notoriety to draw attention to Africa – is already being realized,
as his efforts have made him the subject of international interest. (For instance, while talking with him by phone for this story, we were interrupted by another call from a London–based TV program).
"You know, I've been in the U.S. for nearly ten years now," he says, speaking with the same passion he has for skiing, "and from the images I see, Africa is wrongly perceived here. People see starvation and war images and feel we're not developed. That's a deterent to investment, to
entrepreneurs. We have technology in many parts of Africa; what we have a need for is globalization. Europeans have a different image of Africa, a more enlighten view. When we have cross–global relations with the U.S., when that happens, then we can start to address the problems."
AIDS is of particular interest to Menyoli as it spreads throughout the African continent.
"It's spreading like wildfire and people don't know how to protect
themselves and in many cases, deny it." He sees fighting the AIDS battle as one that must be joined by all people, from citizens to leaders to athletes. Only then can the spread of the disease be halted.
While Menyoli seeks recognition for Africa and speaks out on safe sex practices, he quietly goes about setting an example for other minorities – "And not just Africans but Asians, South Americans, all minorities" – that cross country skiing is wonderful activity for anyone.
He's really tieing together the minority issue with skiing," adds Borowski. "He really is hoping minorities will see him compete and be inspired to ski."
Regardless of what happens in the Olympics, Menyoli hopes to continue to live here, to stay near snow in winter, and continue to compete internationally, as well as locally.
"I love the Badger State Games," he says, "and I'd love to be there this year, but I'll be leaving for Salt Lake City. Badger State Games have
become a very important part of my life. And I'd love to be part of the Birkie one year, although I enjoy the shorter races more."
Regardless of what happens in the Olympics, Menyoli will be a lifelong skier.
"That will never stop. I'll ski until I die, I love it so much."
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