Breaking barriers: Bonnie Bunyau Gustin’s quest for gold

Bonnie posing with his gold medal at Para Asian Games held in Hangzhou on Oct 25, 2023.
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This work is originally published by Cahya Mata Sarawak. DayakDaily has been given permission to share this story on our platforms. 

By Martin Yee, Kenny Ee, and Marlynda Meraw

With gritted teeth and a strength that transcends muscle, Bonnie Bunyau Gustin summoned his will as he fought through the strain of his injured left shoulder, lifting a staggering 231kg—nearly three times his own weight. His breaths were slow, measured; his body taut as he raised the bar above his chest in a controlled ascent, every inch hard-earned.

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And in that suspended moment, Bonnie broke through—securing his second consecutive gold medal, not only for himself and his country, Malaysia but also for breaking the world record, surpassing his previous mark. It was a victory that resonated well beyond the arena of the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Born in 1999, Bonnie’s life was bound from the beginning to a legacy of lifting and striving; his father, Gustin Jenang having also been a para powerlifter himself, alongside Bonnie’s older brother, Bryan Junancy Gustin.

Gustin’s strength and dedication to the sport became Bonnie’s foundation—a heritage of unyielding strength passed from father to son. With boundless love, Gustin encouraged his young son’s first forays into powerlifting, hoping his children would not merely follow but surpass him in their achievements.

In fact, they did more than just follow his footsteps; at one point, Bonnie, Bryan, and their father all represented Malaysia together, creating an indomitable trio of family power at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Asian Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games. But Gustin’s deepest pride was reserved for watching his sons shine in their own right, especially his shy but determined middle son, Bonnie, who had inherited both his father’s drive and heart.

Bonnie (centre) receives a warm welcome upon his arrival at the Kuching International Airport after his victory at the 2024 Paralympics.

Bonnie took up the sport at the young age of 15, his eyes gleaming with admiration for his father’s strength, steady persistence, and unbreakable dedication to powerlifting—a pursuit they shared, made it all the more inspiring by the devotion needed as athletes with different abilities. That admiration grew into Bonnie’s own form of passion.

His first step onto the international stage was at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he competed in the lightweight event and finished fourth. But Bonnie was far from disheartened. If anything, he returned home more determined than ever to push the boundaries of his abilities. And just two years later, he made his mark with a brilliance that would cement his place in Malaysia’s sporting history: he broke the Paralympic record by lifting 228kg at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, earning Malaysia’s first-ever gold medal in para powerlifting.

This triumph in Tokyo was not a lone victory; it marked the beginning of a golden ascent. Only months after his Paralympic triumph, Bonnie went on to conquer the world stage once more, winning gold at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. Standing alongside him was his brother Bryan, who competed in the same championship; a bond unbroken as the brothers championed their family’s name.

The following year saw Bonnie continuing his climb with a gold in men’s lightweight powerlifting at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, adding another gleaming medal to his collection. In 2023, he shattered expectations again by setting a world record of 231kg in the men’s 72kg category at the World Para Powerlifting Cup in Dubai.

Bonnie’s achievements speak of a strength drawn not merely from training or discipline, but from a lineage that is as deep as they are enduring. Despite hailing from Serian, Bonnie was born in Betong. His middle name, Bunyau—was a request made by his maternal grandparents to pay tribute to his Iban heritage.

In every lift, Bonnie carries with him a legacy, a love, and a vision that goes beyond personal glory.

To his family, he is a hero not just in strength but in spirit. His younger brother, Brownson John Gustin, looks up to Bonnie as a source of inspiration, striving to one day achieve the summit Bonnie has reached.

Shy by nature, Bonnie is humble in his victories, his accomplishments more about fulfilling a promise to his father than about accolades or records. To him, each lift, each gold, each world record, is his way of placing a smile on his father’s face.

“I realised that success never comes easy after seeing my father compete in so many local and international tournaments,” Bonnie reflected.

It was the calm determination his father displayed, the resolve in each lift, that made Bonnie see the true essence of success—not as something handed down, but as something to be seized, even against the odds.

Despite the strain of his left shoulder, Bonnie powered through and clinched his second consecutive gold in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

To Bonnie, the load of the barbell is symbolic of the burden borne by countless aspiring athletes with disabilities around the world. In lifting that weight, he is lifting the collective hopes, dreams, and ambitions of others, showing that a disability is not a barrier but a unique strength in itself.

He has become an icon for those who might otherwise doubt their worth, a proof of the heights that can be reached through great devotion. For every struggle and every added ounce of effort, Bonnie has found that success is all the sweeter.

Each medal he won is proof not only of his own strength but of the legacy of courage instilled in him by his father, the lifelong supporter who first showed him the path. Bonnie stands as an emblem of what can be achieved when hope is nurtured, when dedication is unbroken, and when strength is a bond passed down from generation to generation.

Bonnie continues to lift, to strive, and to inspire. He lifts for his father, for his family, for Malaysia, and for every soul who dares to dream. –DayakDaily

 

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