Lone ranger Obiero soldiers on, still focused on podium
PHOTO | MOHAMMED AMIN | NATION Kenyan weightlifter Mercy Obiero competes in the Africa-cum-Olympic qualifiers at Charter Hall on April 1. She is training in Bristol, United Kingdom, for the Olympic Games, which start on July 27 and end on August 12 in London.
Kenyan weightlifter Mercy Obiero believes her vast experience and the advance training at Britol will be enough to jerk her to the medal bracket at the London Olympic Games.
The 32-year-old could be a lone ranger but she remains focused on making a mark on her Olympic debut.
“I know it can be a lonely affair but I am staying focused,” said Obiero. “My consistency, besides featuring in high-profiled competition over the years, should count for me.”
The weighlifter, who had represented Kenya in three editions of the Commonwealth Games, said it has always been her dream to be at the Olympics since her brother, David Obiero, introduced her to the sport in 1999, when she was 17.
“The excitement of being included in the team is over and it’s down to business,” Obiero added.
Unlike the athletics team members, Obiero, who has also featured for Kenya in three All Africa Games, said the training in Bristol University is vital since the facility has modern equipment.
“The place has better facilities and platforms that are similar to those that will be used at the competition, hence an added advantage,” she said. “We were only exposed to such modern equipment when Kenya hosted the Olympic qualifier but it has been a struggle all along.”
Obiero, who intends to push from 65 kilogrammes to 70kg just before the Olympics, said her brother David and coach Pius Ochieng have been her source of inspiration in all her undertakings.
“They know what it takes to be a good weightlifter, Ochieng having represented Kenya at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics,” she said.
Competed in various categories
Obiero has competed in various weight categories – ranging from 69kg to 63kg – and holds a personal best of 115kg in the clean and jerk and 80kg in the snatch.
“My advice to upcoming sportswomen is to have a goal in life and focus on achieving it. They should cling onto the slightest exposure and us it as a driving force to prosperity.”
Having made her debut at the 2002 Manchester “Club” Games, it was however at the 2006 Melbourne Games where Obiero impressed, finishing sixth. She would improve to a fifth-place finish at the 2010 Delhi Games and seventh overall at the 2003 Abuja and 2007 Algiers AAG, respectively.
