MY STORY: Like a fish in water

At Kasarani Aquatic Stadium, Ann Wacuka, 30, takes to water like duck, gliding across the swimming pool and giving her opponents a tidy run for their money. Watching her thrust forward and kick in water, it is difficult to imagine that she might have any physical disadvantage, until she emerges from water; Wacuka is a double amputee.

The only child of a single mother, Wacuka was born with polio, which caused limb disability on her arms and legs. This however has never kept her from excelling in life, particularly in athletics.

‘‘My legs were conjoined at birth. They were later separated in hospital where I was able to attend school at Joy Town Primary School in Thika,” she narrates.

GRIEVOUS ERROR

Until 1996, Wacuka was leading a pretty normal life. Then tragedy stuck.

‘‘I was in Standard Four when I went for an operation. My right leg had been operated on to straighten it but it did not heal. It had a large wound which was not healing. It had to be amputated,’’ she recalls with an air of deflation.

“They erroneously cut the fine left leg. When they discovered their mistake, they proceeded to cut the spoilt right leg.”’

Through a grievous error of miscommunication and, somewhat, the doctors’ negligence, Wacuka lost her two legs.

‘‘While I was psychologically affected, my mother was terribly devastated. Her health deteriorated for months. It was a trying moment for us,’’ she recollects.

Today, Wacuka uses prosthetic legs to walk, and, except for her mild gait and the stiffness of the artificial legs, it is barely possible to notice her abnormality.

‘‘I can walk for a 100 metres without the help of crutches. But beyond that wears me down. With crutches though, I can walk for miles,’’ she says.

Kasarani Safaricom Stadium is her other home, where she commutes from her home in Kariobangi North every Tuesday and Thursday, to train with other athletes like herself.

‘‘This has been my routine for seven years now. Nothing gives me more fulfilment than the feeling of being in water,’’ she says.

Wacuka began swimming as a Standard Seven pupil at Joy Town School in 2000. But her breakthrough in swimming came in 2010 when her friend proposed her name to a swimming coach.

But to prove her talent, she had to compete with other swimmers.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

“I had not trained for more than three years and here I was, competing against swimmers who had regularly been training. I thought I would lose the chance. But when the whistle went, I dived into the water and swam so fast that I had to wait for the others on the other end.’’

Thus Wacuka swam her way to the list of best swimmers and soon joined the Kenyan team in camp.

“My specialisation is Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke in both 50 metres and 100 metres. Sometimes I compete with normal swimmers but comfortably beat them,’’ she says with pride.

‘‘I participated in Commonwealth Games in India in 2010 where I was fourth overall, which motivated me to put more in more work in training. The following year, I participated in the All Africa Games in Maputo Mozambique where I also did well in swimming and fencing.”’

Four years later during the Glasgow edition of the Commonwealth Games, Wacuka was the sixth best female swimmer.

‘‘In 2016, I participated in javelin in Tunisia during field games. I have also been to Congo for training for one month.”

Like every athlete, her dream has always been to take part in the Olympics. But her best chance ever went up in smoke in 2016, following the woes that bedevilled the Kenyan team in Brazil.

Out of this confusion, Kenya was not represented in swimming during the Paralympics.

‘‘Support in the sports of PLWDs in Kenya is so poor. Greed and favouritism hinder proper participation of athletes in this category,’’ laments Wacuka, adding that tycoon Manu Chandaria facilitates their training every week.

Wacuka has her eyes trained on next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia, where she hopes to shine. She envisions a future role in coaching.

‘‘My strength to swim is diminishing with age. I therefore wish to go for further studies in the management of this sport and be involved with its administration in Kenya.’’

Besides sports, has computer skills, beadwork, farming and dressmaking, all which earn her an income.

‘‘I bought broiler chickens from my allowances from the first and second Commonwealth Games. My mother takes care of them at home in Kiambu. The proceeds help to keep us afloat. I pay my own rent and take care of my needs,’’

It is easy to imagine that the meticulous orderliness of her house is the work of a house help, until you ask her.

‘‘I have never had a house help all my life. I do laundry, cook and run all my household errands by myself.’’

Her message to other persons living with disabilities is as clear as it is concise.

‘‘People will always see your disability if you are not proactive. Veil your disability by doing simple things for your own support such as business that do not involve a lot of movement. Don’t be lazy.’’