Skiing is a relatively unfamiliar sport in Kenya, partly because of the country’s geographical location along the equator, but that did not hold back Sabrina Wanjiku Simader from making history as the country’s first professional alpine skiier.
Sabrina Wanjiku is well known within the Austrian sporting community but remains unfamiliar to many Kenyans, owing to the sport’s little popularity in Africa.
The talented skiier immigrated to Austria with her mother at the age of 3 in 2001. They settled in the Alpine area north of Austria.
Following her parents’ divorce, her mother remarried. Her stepfather was involved in skiing and other two children had already entered the sport, as a result, Sabrina was introduced to the sport at young age.
Despite being talented in swimming, bike riding, and golf she opted to remain true to skiing and does not see herself ever competing in any other sport.
Sabrina Wanjiku Simader has always been passionate about the sport and in 2016 represented Kenya at the Youth Olympics in Norway. She also competed for Kenya at St Mauritz in 2017, and the 2018 Olympics in Daegu, South Korea.
Coming up, she faced a myriad of challenges but was determined to succeed in the sport.
“In the beginning people would stop and stare, it as uncomfortable. Most don’t know you, but are skeptical of your capabilities wondering if you’ll be any good. I’m used to it now and I prefer to shock them with my performance,” Sabrina Wanjiku Simader revealed during a previous interview with Mkenyaujerumani.
For a sport that is relatively unpopular in Africa, Wanjiku urges aspiring skiiers or students of other unique disciplines to be resilient and work hard.
“Believe in yourself, don’t worry about what others think of you, you can’t live your life to please others. Do what you are passionate about,” she advices.
Wanjiku urges the Kenya Athletics Federation to continue supporting athletes, including those of relatively unpopular sports in the country.
She is however not the first person to represent Kenya at the Winter Olympics. In 1998, Philip Kimely Boit represented Kenya in Nagano.
Boit and his friend Henry Bitok started out as runners but joined a Nike-sponsored skiing project between 1996 and 1999. Boit retired from skiing in 2011.
