When the rowing paralympic champion Mohammed Asiya was two years old, she was hit by a train. She lost her legs and several fingers. At the age of 9, she lost her parents.
Despite the tragedies that befell her, Asiya did not sit back and pity herself. She has worked hard to become one of the most celebrated para-athletes in Kenya, if not the most celebrated. She is, in fact, the first Kenyan female rower to qualify for the upcoming 2021 Paralympic games in Tokyo.
The 29-year old champion narrates how she was brought up by her cousin after she lost her parents. She actually never had an interest in sports in her early years, as she was first trained to be a teacher. But when she hit 70kgs, a fitness epiphany hit her.
Weighing 70kgs in her state wasn’t just uncomfortable for her, but for her immediate family as well. Her family advised her to join sports, which would help her lose some weight and get into shape. She took it positively and decided to try out her luck.
At that time, the available sports for a person in her condition in Mombasa, her home town were wheelchair tennis, badminton, and rowing. She took part in all of them, including wheelchair marathons, and won medals in all the sports.
Although Asiya did well in all the sports, she decided to put her focus on rowing. “I realised I was getting more captivated by rowing because of the friendly atmosphere. I made up my mind, and decided I was going to train in this sport until I qualified for the Olympics,” she mentioned. Things began looking up, so much so that Asiya decided to quit teaching and engage in sports full time.
The season-opening para-rowing Gavirate Regatta that took place in May 2019 in Italy was the first-ever international sport that Asiya took part in. She was second last in the competition, but the coaches present spotted her and noticed her passion and interest in the sport.
In their remarks, one of the coaches, Joshua Kendagor stated that it wasn’t going to take long before Asiya qualified for the Paralympics and the World Championships. It is important to note that Joshua Kendagor is currently Asiya’s coach and a Kenya Navy officer.
When Asiya took part in the African pre-Paralympic championships that were in Tunis in October of 2019, she beat seven contenders in the PR1 women singles sculls for competitors using their arms only.
Despite her victory in the Paralympics, Asiya says that the ride has been a bumpy one. She has had to overcome negative energy and so many frustrations as a disabled woman in the sports industry. Some of the challenges she mentions include lack of financial support from Kenyan federations and having to borrow proper rowing gear for her competitions.
Asiya narrates that at one time, she almost succumbed to frustration when the KRF and KNPC told her that they would not be sponsoring any rowers for the pre-olympics qualifier due to lack of funds and yet her male colleagues had received full funding from the NOCK.
These circumstances put the burden of the airfare on her family and friends. She, however, did not fail them as she became the only Kenyan rower to qualify for the Paralympic games, starting on Tuesday, 24 August to Sunday, 5 September in Tokyo, Japan.
“After the championships, I was gifted with two rowing boats by the International Rowing Federation but up to date, I have not received any,” she says.
Despite all these frustrations, Asiya says that she will put all problems behind her and focus on shining and making Kenya proud. “I am rowing until I win an Olympic medal.”
