What the girl from Otautau plans to do with Super Bowl ring
"It was a really beautiful moment, yes, I’m standing here as Atipa, but I was bringing everyone with me, I was bringing Zimbabwe with me, bringing New Zealand with me, bringing Otautau with me.”
This story was first published in February 2023.
There were a couple of moments during and after Super Bowl LVII when Aitpa Mabonga took a moment.
The former Central Southland College pupil works for the Kansas City Chiefs in a sought-after role as its influencer and culture coordinator.
From the grandstand, she “screamed the entire game” as the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday [NZ time].
A prized Super Bowl ring is now coming her way and when she spoke to The Tribune on Wednesday she was preparing herself to join the Chiefs players for the street parade in Kansas City.
As many as 500,000 fans are expected to visit downtown Kansas City for the parade.
“I’m still in shock,” Mabonga said of the situation she has found herself in.
She says her first “pinch me moment” came while watching the halftime show live.
“I really had that moment when I thought; I’m a little girl from Zimbabwe, who grew up in New Zealand and followed my dreams, and the fact I’m here at one of the biggest events in the world, it was a real surreal moment.
“It was one of those moments when I was thankful for every single step, every single decision, every single mistake, every single relationship and person I have met, because it all lead to this exact moment.
“For me, it was a really beautiful moment. Yes, I’m standing here as Atipa, but I was bringing everyone with me, I was bringing Zimbabwe with me, bringing New Zealand with me, bringing Otautau with me.”
The second moment for Mabonga came during the Chiefs’ post-game party where she joined players, coaches, owners, fellow staff, and celebrities at an Arizona hotel to celebrate winning the Super Bowl.
“I still have those moments where I think; ‘is this real?’.”
Mabonga grew up in Otautau, Southland and was gun young athlete which led her to the United States.
She signed a scholarship with the Southern Methodist University [SMU] and made the move to Dallas, Texas in 2017.
In recent years the focus has switched to her marketing career.
Mabonga initially started with the Chiefs in a seasonal role as a social media assistant before being locked into the fulltime position.
“I coordinate all of our celebrity and influencer partnerships and engagement.”
“[The Super Bowl] is a very culturally rich and content-heavy event so it’s about making the most of that.
“For instance, we had one Tik Tok influencer, her name is Tabitha, so I was working with her and her manager to get her to Arizona and pairing her with the NFL, and also arranging content. It was a real variety.”
Mabonga has made every attempt to tuck bits of memorabilia away over the past fortnight as the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC division to advance to the Super Bowl.
She was on the field after that thrilling AFC Championship victory and scooped up as much confetti as she could that dropped onto the field. That confetti is now in a jar at her apartment.
She also has a Chiefs-branded cigar from the post-game party.
At the time of our conversation, she hadn’t yet got a photo with the Vince Lombardi Trophy but expected that would probably take place the next day.
However, there’s one bit of memorabilia she will receive that will top everything - a Super Bowl ring.
Players, coaches, and certain fulltime staff attached to Super Bowl-winning organisations are given a Super Bowl ring.
It’s been reported they are valued at somewhere between US$30,000 and US$50,000 given they are filled with diamonds.
So, what does Mabonga plan to do with hers?
“I’m going to give it to my dad. I’m going to get it to fit his fingers and then he can have that. It’s going to my gift, because obviously I wouldn’t be here without [my parents].”
Mabonga made the promise to her dad before the Super Bowl that he would get the ring if Kansas City won. She’s not sure that he did fully comprehend the value of what he would be getting.
Not surprisingly Mabonga’s parents have watched on proudly as she has transformed from being a very nervous school leaver about the prospect of taking up a US scholarship in 2017.
She is now thriving in the US.
Many other Southlanders have also proudly watched Mabonga progress in life, including her former coach in Southland Lance Smith.
“My first priority as a coach is the athlete, second is their enjoyment, third is the results. Atipa has achieved in all three,” Smith says.
“While many I have coached have gone on to higher things as an athlete, many have succeeded in other areas. Hayley Saunders in netball and Jack Beaumont in academics for example, and Hannah Miller in both athletics and academics, and of course, Atipa.
“It gives me as much satisfaction to see them succeed in other areas as it does to see them achieve athletically. Atipa is a prime example.”
Love this story.
Fantastic piece. Thank you