by Curtis Akey
LSU Sports Information
Joseph Simuchimba has a chance.
Most people from his country are not as fortunate.
Simuchimba, a junior cross country star, is from the southern African country of Zambia. Where nearly three-fourths of the country lives under the national poverty line and where HIV/AIDS runs rampant, Simuchimba has used his athletic prowess to make a life for himself.
It’s almost ironic that the country’s lifestyle contributed to his running success.
“Not everybody has cars in Zambia,” explained Simuchimba. “School was 10 miles away, so I would run to go to school.”
“Sometimes, my family would ask me to go run an errand, and I would run there when they sent me,” he added. “My parents liked that whenever they sent me to do something, I would get back to them quickly.”
Running through the hilly terrain of Zambia has translated to success in the United States.
After participating in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2002 and 2004, he garnered attention from cross country powerhouse Central Arizona College, a junior college near Phoenix.
“Coach Mike Gray from CAC saw the results,” said Simuchimba. “He asked if I wanted to go to school in Arizona, and he sent me information about the school.”
Simuchimba had no idea what he was getting himself into.
“I had never heard of Central Arizona College before,” said Simuchimba. “But I knew that I had to go to school.”
When he arrived in Phoenix, he learned of the track and field and cross country programs at CAC. The track and field program has been national champions four times and regional champions for 24 straight years. Cross country has won three national championships and seven regional championships under Gray alone. The pressure to win was high.
Simuchimba didn’t even understand the concept of national championships.
“When I arrived at CAC, I didn’t know how much winning championships meant to people,” confessed Simuchimba. “After we won, I realized how big of a thing it was.”
And win he did.
Simuchimba was part of a cross country national championship team as well as a track and field championship team during his time at CAC. He also won an individual national title in the 8K during the 2005 National Cross Country Championships. Overall, he was a four time NJCAA All-American selection in both cross country and track and field.
Those accolades were enough to attract LSU cross country coach Mark Elliott to Simuchimba. While he considered other schools like Texas Tech and Tennessee, Simuchimba was influenced by one of his own to attend LSU.
“We were lucky when we were recruiting Joseph,” explained Elliott. “We had Sam Mwape from Zambia that was running here at the time. So he helped us get him.”
Other than Mwape, there wasn’t much else that connected
Simuchimba to Zambia at LSU. That is except for his diet.
Simuchimba’s diet plays a huge role in his success. Throughout the week, he boils water and mixes in cornmeal to eat along with a side of steamed vegetables. Every once in a while, he’ll substitute the vegetables for chicken. His eating habits keep him lean while giving him the energy to run long distances every day.
However, his diet is only one facet of his lifestyle that contributes to his running abilities.
Simuchimba’s work ethic extends beyond the practices Elliott has his team go through around campus and Tunica Hills, an hour north of the campus. He runs nearly 40 minutes each morning on his own time.
“That helps me get ready for the afternoon workout,” Simuchimba explained.
“We all train together as a team, but he puts in a lot more mileage on his own,” said Elliott.
On top of the additional running, Simuchimba does light workouts with the cross country team. But one of the most important, overlooked aspects of running is where Simuchimba sets himself apart from other runners.
“When you are running, you don’t have to breathe vicariously,” said Simuchimba. “You have to conserve your breathing. I have to breathe and hold it in for a little bit and then let it out. If you try to breathe fast, you’ll use up too much energy and you will get tired.”
This is Simuchimba’s first season as a Division I cross country athlete.
It doesn’t show.
He has placed in the top three in three races this season, including a number one finish in the 8K Tiger Classic with a time of 24:51.55. He has a chance to compete for the SEC Championship on Oct. 27. If he does well in the regionals, he could qualify for the NCAA Championships as the first LSU cross country athlete since 2000.
He hopes that he’s not the only one.
“I would rather see the whole team compete in the NCAA Championships than just me.”
“I think you find leaders in many ways,” said Elliott. “I see him off talking to some of the other kids alone. They respect his opinion.”
“When you are good at what you do,” added Elliott, “you command respect real quick.”
Most people in Joseph Simuchimba‘s home country of Zambia don’t have the chance to do what he has done. Growing up, Simuchimba lived a simple life, running from place to place because it was his only option. He could have walked, but that would have gone against everything he stands for. He has a simple philosophy that he uses every time his feet meet the ground.
“Why walk when you can run?”