Kenyan policewoman, Winnie Lang'at, dreams of becoming the first Kenyan weightlifter to win a medal in the Commonwealth.
As she chases her ambitions, the champion can reflect on her past successes, which raised her profile.
The athlete is among the great sports personalities who have flown high Kenya's flag.
She has represented Kenya in international events since 2015. The athlete joined the National Police Service (NPS) after completing school, where she took an interest in sports and later in weightlifting.
Recounting back to when her journey started, Lang'at mentioned that she started with pole vaulting before learning other sports.
"I remember in 2015 when I was going to the gym to do some strength workouts to for pole vault. That's when I started weightlifting."
From then, her success in powerlifting began with winning three silver medals in Brazzaville, Congo.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), some of the medals she won include a silver medal from the All Africa Games held in Morocco.
Additionally, she won a gold medal at the 2019 Africa Championship Games held in Nairobi.
Speaking in an interview with Foxton Media, Lang'at mentioned that the journey was quite daunting. She first had to be patient with herself and trust the process.
"Weightlifting was tough on me to the point of giving up, but I had to be resilient despite its challenges and the difficulties," she recalled.
Despite the sport being dominated by men, the female officer is training immensely to perfect a sport she so adores.
"My motivation is my own passion. When I love something, I always go for it," remarked Winnie.
Lang'at is still making strides in her weightlifting journey as she is poised to attend the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships scheduled for December 5 to 16, 2022.
