Task 1. Read the text quickly and identify which person did the following things. Write the letter P for Phiona and K for Koni in the spaces provided. Which person:

1. has had a book published about their life?

2. had to have a further operation due to a problem?

3. took up a new interest in order to get fed?

4. represented their country in competitions?

5. will receive financial support thanks to a physical talent.

Tales of courage

Ugandan teenager, Phiona Mutesi, grew up in poverty, unable to read or write. Her father died when she was very young and she had to find food for herself and her brother. It was that basic need that decided her fate, because it led her to Robert Katende’s chess programme. Katende was offering a bowl of food to any child who would come to his centre to learn chess. Phiona wouldn’t have gone there if she hadn’t been desperate to eat, and her life changed with that one decision. Her potential at chess was obvious from the start and she enjoyed playing, so began to practise more and more. She walked four miles a day to attend training, collecting food each time. She was soon beating the older girls and boys in the programme and has since played for Uganda in several international tournaments, with trips to Russia, Turkey and the USA. Phiona has brought hope to her family and is becoming an inspiration worldwide, with the recent appearance of her biography.

Koni Dole’s bravery and fighting spirit are remarkable. Koni comes from Montana in the USA and is passionate about American football. He regularly represented his high school in competitions until he suffered a bad break to his leg, which became infected after it was set. Eventually, Koni’s leg had to be removed and doctors told him he would never play football again. However, instead of letting himself be beaten, he faced up to his disability and used it as motivation. Immediately after the surgery, he began training again and, with the help of an artificial leg, went running and lifted weights to improve his fitness. Despite being in great pain at times, he continued the training programme and returned to the football field a year after his terrible accident. Koni has been given a football scholarship by Montana State University and fully intends to achieve further sporting success.

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