Kenyan Paralympic swimmer Ann Wacuka was the centre of attraction at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia on Monday.
Wacuka, who has no legs, received arguably the loudest cheers of the tournament so far from the huge crowd at the Optus Aquatic Centre where the swimming events were being held.
She emerged seventh in the S8 50m freestyle but the crowd was behind her all the way, being the only swimmer in the race without lower limbs.
A rapturous applause erupted from the arena as she finally finished, with some spectators getting on their feet to continue cheering her.
Wacuka is a key member of the paralympic team and has represented Kenya at past international tournaments in India, Scotland and Mozambique.
Here is a video of her performance at the 2018 games in Australia:
Brilliant moment at swimming as Kenya’s Ann Wacuka , who has no legs, gets the weeks best reception in S9 50m. pic.twitter.com/GdnkCa8HP7
— John Hunt (@HuntyCaller) April 10, 2018
Her exploits have seen her scoop various medals and awards over the years.
In a past interview with Citizen TV, she explained that participating in sports as a disabled person had really helped her beat everyday challenges.
"Ukiwa na disability na unafanya sports, inakusaidia sana mwili. Huwezishindwa na kutembea ama kufanya kitu (When you are disabled and participate in sports, it really helps your body. You can't be unable to walk or do some things)," she stated.
Wacuka's coach Jennifer Kamande revealed that Wacuka had grown from a weak contestant to one who was placed in classes above her level in competitions.
In the same interview, Wacuka stated that she was also good at javelin and hoped to emulate record-breaking javelin thrower Julius Yego.
[caption caption="Results of the S8 50m Freestyle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games "]
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