Saturday, January 16, 2016

Enjoyable visit on the flight east with former Georgetown University and NBA star Dikembe Mutombo--honoree at last night's NCAA Awards Dinner in San Antonio. He graduated from Georgetown with degrees in linguistics and diplomacy, and he is fluent in nine languages, including five African languages. A fascinating background and remarkable person!

In 1996, Mutombo paid for the Congo national women’s basketball team to travel to Atlanta and compete in the Summer Olympic Games, and he also covered the cost of the track and field team’s uniforms and expenses. In 1997, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, dedicated to improving the health, education and quality of life for people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His foundation provides comprehensive health care at the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, while promoting disease prevention, health policy, health research and increased access to health care education. He was named the Humanitarian of the Year in 2014 by the NBA.

A real treat to spend time with him.