Gustavo Bodjedi Envela-Mahua Jr. is an

Equatoguinean Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...

former sprinter, actor, and political hopeful, currently based in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He was born in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.

Background and early life

Envela's father, Gustavo Envela-Makongo Sr., resigned as Equatorial Guinea's first ambassador to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

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 Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

. Growing up in Salem, Envela gained notoriety at an early age as a standout sprinter, setting several national age-group records. He attended Waldo Middle School and

Douglas McKay High School Douglas McKay High School, most commonly known as McKay, is a public high school located in the North Lancaster neighborhood of Salem, Oregon, United States. Built in 1979, the school was named after Douglas McKay, former Governor of Oregon and U ...

. 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.

Sporting distinctions

Envela went on to run for

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

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.

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. Envela scheduled his

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

agenda with the help of lobbyist and onetime deputy

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legal counsel, Robert Kelley. In addition, Envela sought the advice of

James Carville Chester James Carville Jr. (born October 25, 1944) is an American political consultant, author, and occasional actor who has strategized for candidates for public office in the United States and in at least 23 nations abroad. A Democrat, he is an ...

, ex-

Clinton Administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over Re ...

advisor. He also worked with

Warren Weinstein Warren Weinstein (July 3, 1941 – January 15, 2015) was an American contractor, and director in Pakistan for J.E. Austin Associates, a firm which increases business competitiveness and growth in developing economies. He was kidnapped by eight al-Q ...

who was once with the

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

. Envela has recently been a consultant for Africa Global, a

-based organization whose past clients include the current Dictator-President of Equatorial Guinea,

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (; born 5 June 1942) is an Equatoguinean politician and former military officer who has served as the second president of Equatorial Guinea since August 1979. He is the longest-serving president of any country eve ...

. Envela currently lives in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he is president of

Voice of Democracy Voice of Democracy (; abbreviated VOD) was an independent news agency based in Cambodia. VOD has provided significant investigative journalism within Cambodia, providing coverage on domestic issues including corruption, government wrongdoing, hum ...

. 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. Although his political aspirations seem to have been postponed, he has managed to hold his own in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

with cameo roles in movies such as '' Sgt. Bilko'' and an appearance on the TV game show ''

Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...

''. He speaks native

Fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fang ...

with

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

as his second languages.

References

External links

* *
''Former Oregon track star has eyes on political prize''
Associated Press
Oregon State High School Track Champions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Envela, Gus Jr. 1968 births Living people People from Bata, Equatorial Guinea Fang people Stanford University alumni Equatoguinean sportsperson-politicians Equatoguinean actor-politicians Equatoguinean writers Equatoguinean male writers Equatoguinean film actors Equatoguinean male sprinters Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Equatorial Guinea Equatoguinean emigrants to the United States