"I am comfortable talking about my story. Earlier it was hard but I am comfortable talking about it now," beamed Patricia Mativo once I mentioned to her how inspiring her life journey was.
While in Form 3, Mativo survived a road accident that left her with a spinal cord injury that rendered her immobile - but she did not let that deter her from achieving her dreams.
Her biggest turning point, she tells Kenyans.co.ke, was her realisation that her future was in her control and it depended on her persistence.
"I had a spinal cord injury. It caused partial paralysis in my limbs and many other things. It interfered with my mobility. I could not make even a single step and I couldn't turn on the bed.
"With time I had to get strong and try to manage my way out. It reached a point I hit a wall but I tried to push myself beyond the limit. I now do many things on my own including my own laundry. I am using my crutches. I was in a wheelchair before and then I went to a walker," she stated.
So far, Mativo has held leadership roles across the board including at the United Nations Populations Fund Youth Advisory Panel where she serves as the vice-chairperson.
Her rise to the top, however, came with its share of challenges. While in Form Three, Mativo had to suspend her studies for two years to treat the injury.
When she resumed her studies, enrolling at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, she picked up her slack and topped her class in the national examinations securing a position at Multimedia University where she pursued a degree in Analytical Chemistry and achieved First Class honours.
In the years that followed, she landed various roles including serving as a Brand Ambassador for Riziki Source, an organisation that facilitates employment for people with disabilities as well as the Country Representative of the Global Youth Consultant towards Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Today, she is part of the 52 contestants who make up the Ms President competition set to be unveiled on KTN Home - roughly a month before the General Election set for August 9.
The idea of joining the show, which is in its second season, was first flaunted to her by a friend she worked with but she did not take it seriously.
She, however, applied to join the show after an acquaintance pushed her in the direction. "That is when I took it seriously because I hardly talk to this guy but he saw my abilities. Then I applied."
She, however, fell sick on the day of the interview after suffering a blood infection and only made it to the interview 30 minutes before closure.
"I want to gain more visibility of the work that I am doing and inspire more people because I have been a student leader and seen persons with disabilities join campus and try to hide.
"I try to set standards for people with disabilities, especially those who acquired it through accidents because it is really hard trying to accept it because it is a life-changer," she remarked.
52 successful candidates were shortlisted from a pool of 320 who auditioned to join the Academy. In total there were 750 applicants for Ms President Season 2.
Mativo remains hopeful that she will emerge victorious and carry home the Ksh2.3 million prize.
