Gus Envela, Jr.

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Gustavo Bodjedi Envela-Mahua Jr. (b. 1968 in Equatorial Guinea) is an Equato-Guinean-American former sprinter, actor and political hopeful.

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]} 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 1984-1986. ^[1]

Envela went on to run for Stanford University during his freshman year of college. 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 5 games from through 2002, setting a record for appearances in the Olympics by a sprinter.

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.^[2]

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 with 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 Los Angeles, California, where he is president of Voice of Democracy. He and his wife Tomiko have two children including a daughter, their first born, Misako. Although his political aspirations seem to have been postponed,^[3] 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. ^[4]

He speaks native Bubi and Spanish and English as his second languages. He is also considered Hispanic as he speaks Spanish.