Few tales capture the Olympic spirit more than that of Eric Moussambani, better known as Eric the Eel, and the incalculable importance of persistence and cooperation, which the Olympics teach us.
Equatorial Guinea invited potential athletes to try out for their national team in the years leading up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The 22-year-old swimmer Eric Moussambani was one among the people who answered and showed up for the tryouts.
Though I say “among those,” Eric was really the sole male swimmer to show up for the trials, meaning he was automatically named to the squad with Paula Barila Bolopa, who raced in the women’s division.
However, Eric lacked basic swimming skills, which was a minor issue. Furthermore, he was unable to train in Equatorial Guinea due to a lack of suitable facilities.
