John Stephen Akhwari (b. 1938?, Mbulu, Tanganyika)

John Stephen Akhwari was an Olympic athlete at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He representated Tanzania in the marathon but he fell during the race badly cutting his knee and dislocating the joint. Rather than quitting, he continued running. He finished last among the 74 competitors. When asked why he ran he said simply, "My country did not send me 7000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7000 miles to finish it."

Akhwari has lent his name to the John Stephen Akhwari Athletic Foundation which supports Tanzanian athletes training for the Olympic Games.