Gus Envela Jr.

{{Infobox person

| name = Gus Envela Jr.

| image =

| caption =

| imagesize =

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Bata, Equatorial Guinea

| birthname = Gustavo Bodjedi Envela Mahua

| occupation = Actor, politician, sprinter

| education = Douglas McKay High School

| father = Gustavo Envela

}}

Gustavo Bodjedi Envela Mahua, known as Gus Envela Jr., is an Equatorial Guinean actor, politician and former sprinter, currently based in Washington, D.C., United States.

Background and early life

Envela's father, Gustavo Envela-Makongo Sr., resigned as Equatorial Guinea's first ambassador to the United Nations in 1970 due to clashes with the Equatorial Guinean government. In 1970 the family, due to escalating political unrest in their native country, fled into exile and settled in Salem, Oregon.

Growing up in Salem, Envela gained notoriety at an early age as a standout sprinter, setting several national age-group records.{{Citation needed|date=April 2008}} He attended Waldo Middle School and Douglas McKay High School. While at McKay, he set state records in the 100 (10.49 seconds), 200 (21.33) and the 400 meter dashes (46.78), and took first place in the state meet in each of those events from 1984 to 1986.[http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/05/21/d1.sp.bellamy.0521.p1.php?section=columnists The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA]

Sporting distinctions

Envela went on to run for Stanford University during his freshman year of college.

=Record participant in the Olympics as sprinter=

Additionally, after becoming the first athlete to compete in the Olympic games for Equatorial Guinea in 1984, he went on to compete in a total of 4 games – 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996 – setting a record for appearances in the Olympics by a sprinter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/|title=Olympics at Sports Reference|website=Olympics at Sports-Football-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-13}}

Political and other activities

After graduating from Stanford in 1990, instead of pursuing professional sports, he set his eyes on running for president of his native Equatorial Guinea with hopes of establishing freedom of speech, raising the standard of living and education.{{cite web|url=http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2000/sepoct/articles/olympics.html|title=Stanford Magazine - Article|publisher=|accessdate=2 September 2016}}

Envela scheduled his Washington agenda with the help of lobbyist and onetime deputy Senate legal counsel, Robert Kelley. In addition, Envela sought the advice of James Carville, ex-Clinton Administration advisor. He also worked with Warren Weinstein who was once with the United States Agency for International Development. Envela has recently been a consultant for Africa Global, a Washington, D.C.–based organization whose past clients include the current Dictator-President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

Envela currently lives in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he is president of Voice of Democracy. He and his wife Tomiko have two children including a daughter, their first born, Misako, as well as their second born Malaya. Misako is a senior in high school and is active in track like her father.{{cite web|url=http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=1159369|title=Misako Envela|publisher=|accessdate=2 September 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=39952|title=Stanford Magazine - Article|publisher=|accessdate=2 September 2016}}{{Cite web |url=http://mh.iofc.org/node/25192 |title=Long-Distance Sprinter | Michael Henderson |access-date=2015-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415160414/http://mh.iofc.org/node/25192 |archive-date=2015-04-15 |url-status=dead }} Although his political aspirations seem to have been postponed,{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinea-ecuatorial.net/ms/main.asp?cd=ni1611|title=The Crude Politics of Trading Oil; Despite an abysmal record on human rights, EquatorialGuinea is a major U.S. supplier.|last=Ndo|first=Celestino Nvo Okenve|website=www.guinea-ecuatorial.net|access-date=2018-04-13}} he has managed to hold his own in Hollywood with cameo roles in movies such as Sgt. Bilko and an appearance on the TV game show Wheel of Fortune.

He speaks native Fang with Spanish and English as his second languages.

References

External links

{{Facebook|gustavo.envela|Gustavo Envela}}
{{World Athletics}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222125/http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/stories/kgw_1121_life_running_for_president.2a3f5bdf.html Former Oregon track star has eyes on political prize]- Associated Press
[http://www.osaa.org/track/records/btrackchampsthrough06.pdf Oregon State High School Track Champions]

{{succession box

| before = Ruth Mangue

| title = Flagbearer for {{GEQ}}

| years = Atlanta 1996

| after = Eric Moussambani

}}

Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Bata, Equatorial Guinea

Category:Fang people

Category:Stanford University alumni

Category:Equatoguinean sportsperson-politicians