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Sophia Wanjiru, a striker who plays for Nakuru Para Volleyball team, trains at the Nakuru fussball arena on September 26, 2024.
As Sophia Wanjiru strikes the ball at the Nakuru Fussball arena, a smile spreads across her face.
At 44, she’s among the 45 players in the Nakuru Para Volleyball team, a community that has given her a new sense of belonging.
Before 2023, Wanjiru was unaware of sitting volleyball, a sport designed for persons with disabilities.
Her life took a drastic turn in 2020 when she fell while doing house chores, resulting in her right leg being amputated.
Recalling the painful ordeal, Sophia told Nation Sport in an interview how a simple household accident led to a series of medical challenges.
"I broke my right leg during the fall and despite seeking first aid from a neighbour who was a doctor, the swelling worsened,” she remembers.
Sophia Wanjiru, a striker who plays for Nakuru Para Volleyball team, trains at the Nakuru fussball arena on September 26, 2024.
What followed was an agonising journey, because, at the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, she struggled to raise Sh10,000 for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan, which delayed her treatment.
However, after undergoing surgery to fix rods in her leg, Sophia’s condition deteriorated and eventually doctors recommended amputation after 14 days.
Her mother, who had stayed by her side throughout the process, struggled to accept the decision, but Sophia knew it was the only way to save her life.
“I just wanted the leg amputated after three weeks of unbearable pain. I contemplated taking my own life. I felt like a burden, ashamed of my situation,” Sophia said, revealing that she ran a clothes business before life took a turn for the worst.
However, through counselling and the unwavering support of family and friends, she fought off suicidal thoughts, though she remained withdrawn from the outside world.
Sophia Wanjiru, a striker who plays for Nakuru Para Volleyball team, trains at the Nakuru fussball arena on September 26, 2024.
It wasn’t until 2023 that a visit from Nakuru Para Volleyball chairperson, Mary Wangari, offered Sophia a lifeline.
While she was reluctant at first, she eventually gave in to the team’s persistent encouragement and decided to join them later that year. It was a life-changing decision.
"On my first day, I saw others with different disabilities pushing beyond their limitations to excel in sports. I felt like I belonged. Having played volleyball in high school, I did not see the possibility of ever being involved in sports after my accident. I thought there was no place in sports for someone like me. However, after much persuasion I decided to try out the game in January 2024,” she says.
Sophia is now a setter for the team and finds joy not only in the game but also in the friendships and emotional support the team offers.
“Seeing others like me play with such determination helped me shed tears of acceptance. The team has given me new hope, and I am training with aspirations of representing Kenya in the Paralympics and other world tournaments,” she shares.
The Nakuru Para Volleyball team captain, Elizabeth Auma, said the sport has made an impact to many like Sophia living with different forms of disabilities.
Auma, who contracted polio at age nine, has been part of the team for eight years and notes how the game has helped many, including Sophia, rediscover their self-worth.
“Beyond the field, we visit communities to encourage others with disabilities to pursue sports. Over the years the team grew from 10 players in 2011 to 45 currently,” Auma explains.
The captain says that the sport has helped pass mental health messages among the players. They get together after training and share their challenges, supporting each other where they can. She adds that playing the game is great for your mental health and physical fitness.
The team's team manager Judith Basara, notes that the team has registered a great milestone since it began in 2011. She says their proudest moment as a club is getting a player to join them, and seeing them excel in the sport.
“Early this year we had two of our players Fredrick Omondi and Ashley Autai, alongside our coach, Florence Ofwenje join the national Para Volleyball team for the Paris Paralympic qualifiers. Even as we count these achievements, we hope to see more people, young and old joining the sport,” she says.
She lauded the Nakuru county government for the support they offer the team, saying that more support will expose the players to more tournaments and opportunities that can shape their careers positively.
