King Richard: My Thoughts

by Freya on April 24th, 2022

I watched King Richard. I loved it.

I have known of Venus and Serena, I’ve seen their names on TV and in print often enough but I didn’t know their story. This movie was an insight into why they are inspirations, why their achievements are a big, big deal.

But what stood out for me in King Richard was the parents, the story of Richard and Oracene. Parents who centered their lives around their children and a dream.

I have had the opportunity to know a set of these kind of parents. I grew up watching my Mami Fakera and Mamu Shabbir make their life choices based on an Olympic dream.
This movie reminded me of their lives, it brought a renewed appreciation for all they did as a family to work towards a goal. It wasn’t easy, never, but they did it.

Their lives followed strict routine. From food to everything else, all had only one focus, getting better at the sport. I’ve watched my Mami give up promotions to stay close to Coach and Pool. My Mamu was the silent force behind it all and he built everything needed by hand, I’ll never forget that sleek road bike he designed and built for Hakim for his triathlons.

And they, like Richard and Oracene, demanded a balance between sports and everything else in life. It was tough growing up with a cousin who was good at everything (and excellent at swimming), he set the benchmark real high.

An older me now sees the value of their choices. This me appreciates the determination and focus it took for them as a family, it wasn’t just Hakimuddin Habibulla who made it to the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the entire family did.

And all that stuff they brought to the balance with swimming now shows in the amazing work Hakim is still doing with swimming and sport.

In sports, for that matter in anything, parents often get lost in the background when the limelight shines. It was wonderful to watch a movie about them, a family’s story of achieving a dream, together.