Taekwondo champ shining in her talent

A Kenya National Bureau of Statistics report released in 2018 shows that nine out of every ten unemployed Kenyans are youth - 35 years and below, and numbers don’t lie.

As thousands of youth languish in misery with some sinking into drugs and alcohol, others use their talents to create jobs.

Beatrice Wangari Mwangi, 25, did just that; she cut a niche for herself in martial arts.

The Bachelor of Education degree graduate who specialised in Mathematics and Geography at Moi University, decided to pursue taekwondo. With nine gold, four silver and two bronze medals out of 15 tournaments under her belt, Ms Mwangi aims at being the best in Kenya.

“My journey in taekwondo started in February 2015, when I attended the International youth fellowship camp of Good News Mission Church (Mahanaim) next to United States International University in Nairobi.

The church, she says, hosts Koreans who entertain people through taekwondo during youth camps, which are held during school holidays.

CRISSCROSSING COUNTRY

“I was impressed by what they said about the game, how they demonstrated it, and how they kicked. My aim of joining was to just know how to kick and be flexible,” she narrates.

When schools opened, Ms Mwangi shared what she witnessed during the holiday with her camaraderie and they introduced her to Moi University taekwondo club.

That began her journey of crisscrossing the country to compete in different categories of taekwondo games. She says determination and courage have seen her succeed in a game many feel is more manly than feminine.

Her first tournament was during the Rift Valley Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) selection held at Annex, Eldoret; she did not make it due to inadequate skills.

“A week after joining and training with the Moi University team, I participated in a game held at Annex, and I lost because I had not acquired enough skills; one week was too short. After the loss, I decided to train harder,” says Ms Mwangi.

Her turning point came when a month later, she participated in another taekwondo tournament in Menengai, Nakuru. The team there performed with precision.

“They had a lot of accuracy in kicking and speed; I realised that what I had learnt earlier was not adequate, so I organised to join the Menengai team when we break for the long holiday.

“Menengai allowed me to join them and in September 2015, I started taekwondo officially. The coach, Brian Aura, told me I had to start afresh because my kicks were not standard, yet I was so determined to defeat the girl who had beaten me in my first game. I only spent three months with the team because the holiday was short,” she says.

BLACK BELT CHAMPION

She was determined to emerge one of the best taekwondo ladies in Kenyan universities. Her dream came true when she was second in a tournament held at Kibabii University in October, 2015.

“A month later after vigorous training, I lost to a black belt champion who beat me by two points and I landed in the bronze bracket. I didn’t give up but continued training hard,” she says.

She won her first medal in December 2015, when she participated in a KUSA tournament at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University in Siaya County. She was named the best player of the games.

Ms Mwangi later participated in Korean Ambassador Competitions and won silver medal in bantam weight category, and the Narok Chairman’s Cup where she won a gold medal in the flyweight category.

“At the Nanyuki Opens, I won a gold medal in flyweight category, while at Kibabii Governor’s Cup, I won a silver medal in Bantam weight. In the Nakuru Chairman’s Cup, I won a gold medal in the flyweight category,” Ms Mwangi says.

 The wins motivated her to continue training and December 2106, she participated in the East African University Games held at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Juja where she won.

“I had one of the only two gold medals Moi University won during the games. I participated in many other games and in December 2017, I won another gold medal from the KUSA games held at Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri,” adds an elated Ms Mwangi.

In May last year, she joined the taekwondo national team and participated in Rwanda Genocide Memorial Tournament in Kigali, where she won a bronze medal. She also participated in the All African Games in Morocco last July, where she lost to a Nigerien by one point.

Discipline, courage and determination have enabled her to continue shining despite a few challenges. The major obstacle she has encountered is balancing school work and sports, which she has overcome through discipline.

“When in school, there was classwork and Moi University had no coach, making training difficult. My coach in Menengai Mr Aura, always told me he does 25 per cent and I do 75 per cent. So I trained in my room. In school, I was the senior most player and so my colleagues depended on me to train them, yet I felt I was not qualified to do so,” she recalls.

Ms Mwangi says she has always loved sports from the time she was in primary school.

“In primary school, I participated in athletics, while I played basketball and athletics in high school. Sports has helped me in keeping myself fit and instilled self-discipline, perseverance, self-control, courtesy, indomitable spirit and integrity in me,” she says.

Sports, she concludes, has boosted her self-esteem and given her an opportunity to grow.

“I would like to pursue a master’s course in Sports Management because I feel there is a gap in this sector,” she elucidates.