Asiya Mohamed: Kenya's first female para-rower
Asiya Mohamed during the interview with nation.africa last month. She is the first female para-rower to represent Kenya at the Olympics, finishing 10th overall in the 2021 Tokyo event.
What you need to know:
- Asiya Mohamed lost both lower limbs after a life-altering train accident at a tender age of two years.
- In 2017, she quit her teaching job to become a professional para-athlete.
- She made history after becoming the first female para-rower to represent Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
“The moment I’m on the boat para-rowing, everything else disappears. I am at peace and have my own personal space,” Ms Asiya Mohamed’s eyes glitter as she opens up to us.
Ms Mohamed is a double amputee who plays several para-sports, including wheelchair tennis, para-rowing, sitting volleyball, chess, darts and javelin.
A life-altering accident at a tender age of two years changed her life forever. She lost her lower limbs after a train mowed her. The accident also led to the death of her parents. Her father died of stroke after witnessing the accident and her mother followed suit.
She, however, made history after becoming the first female para-rower to represent Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics 2021, finishing 10th overall.
The para-athlete, who trained as a teacher, ventured into sports after a family intervention regarding her weight.
“My family members warned me that I was becoming too heavy to walk on my artificial legs or fit into any wheelchair, so I joined sports to lose weight,” Ms Mohamed says.
In 2017, she quit her teaching job to become a professional para-athlete. As a person with an adventurous spirit, she plunged into different sports, becoming multi-talented.
She was at a tennis tournament when she received a call inviting her to Tudor Water Sports in Mombasa to try out para-rowing. Although, she was trained by international coaches, she says para-rowing was cumbersome at first.
Ms Mohamed, a para-athlete, who trained as a teacher, ventured into sports after a family intervention regarding her weight.
“The first time I tried para-rowing, my boat capsized and I did not know how to swim. I was terrified, but that did not stop me,” she says.
Her two-year relentless training paid off when she received a qualification slot at the African Pre-Paralympic Championships in Tunisia.
Nonetheless, her journey as a woman in para-sports has been marred by challenges: “At some point, I felt like I did not have a voice to articulate my needs.”
Lack of funding has been a major issue that almost cost her the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.
Ms Mohamed had to crowdfund for her air ticket to Tunisia after the government communicated that they could not sponsor her trip.
She attributes her success to her guardian, Miriam and Tennis Kenya, who have supported her throughout her journey.
Ms Mohamed urges the government to prioritise para-sports, in particular women para-athletes, in sports development by proving funding opportunities and equipment.
The para-athlete, who enjoys watching horror movies in her free time, identifies Jessica Long, American Paralympic swimmer, and Catherine Ndereba as some of her role models.
“Self-love, self-belief and determination are my life pillars, with these principles, I can do anything that I focus my mind on,” she concludes.
