Kenya’s Kennedy Ogada piloted by compatriot Oscar Dennis race in the Paris 2024 Paralympics cycling men’s 28.3km individual time trial at Clichy-sous-Bois, on September 4, 2024.
Former Kenya Sevens rugby player turned para triathlete, Oscar Dennis, is on a mission to create history at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
Dennis, who made his debut at last year’s Paris Paralympics, wants to become the first athlete to qualify for the Olympics and Paralympics in three different disciplines.
Dennis had previously qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with the Kenya Sevens team, but a devastating road accident halted his Olympic dream. Fate, however, had more in store for him.
While working as a chauffeur for Team Kenya at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Dennis was called up to compete as a pilot for visually impaired para-cyclist Kennedy Ogada.
The opportunity came after Ogada’s pilot, Benson Mwaniki, sustained an injury following an accident at Team Kenya’s camp in Compiègne, France, and failed to recover in time.
Dennis, who had recently started competing in para triathlon races across Europe in hopes of getting officially classified, had less than a week to build chemistry with Ogada before taking on the tandem cycling event.
Despite the tight timeline, the pair made history by becoming the first Africans to compete in the tandem cycling category at the Paralympics.
They finished 11th in the Time Trial and bowed out of the road race after six laps due to exhaustion, having stopped several times to fix mechanical issues. They covered 85.2km of the 128km course in 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 2 seconds, finishing 10th overall.
Ogada, now classified in the PTS5 para triathlon category, recently won the Africa title in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, and is focused on qualifying for LA 2028 through world-ranking events.
“My dream is to continue making history and this time around as the first to qualify in three different disciplines at Olympics and Paralympics,” said Dennis, who won the Africa Para Triathlon PTS5 title on April 5 in a time of 1:02:11.
That victory earned him a spot at the World Triathlon Championships scheduled for October 15–19 this year in Wollongong, Australia.
He was officially graded for para triathlon during the 2024 World Triathlon Para Cup in Portugal, where he finished sixth. He went on to claim a silver medal at the 2025 World Triathlon Para Cup in Abu Dhabi on February 16.
In para triathlon, the PTS5 class includes athletes with mild activity limitations such as below-the-elbow amputations, partial muscle loss, or lower limb deficiencies. The event consists of a 750m swim, 20km bike ride, and 5km run.
“I was so elated and excited when Kenya Triathlon Federation offices came down to Cape Town for the continental event. That was my first championship event for Kenya since I started my para triathlon journey less than a year ago,” said Dennis.
He described the experience as a dream come true. “God’s time is always the best,” he added.
Dennis, a former Nondescripts RFC centre, was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while cycling in Karen in November 2020, effectively ending his rugby career.
He was initially admitted to Karen Hospital and later moved to Aga Khan Hospital, where he underwent the first of 17 surgeries. He was then flown to South Africa for specialized treatment, spending nearly two years there. Twice, he narrowly avoided amputation as doctors fought to save his leg.
“After I had just qualified with Kenya Sevens for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, an accident happened and my dream for the Olympics was shattered. It took two years before I knew what to do before then fell into triathlon,” Dennis recalled.
“Suddenly, I received a call while in Europe to chauffer Team Kenya at the Paris Paralympics then and I found myself at the Paralympic village to pilot Ogada, who to me is a legend,” he said. “Ogada told me to take things easy.”
Speaking on NTV’s SportOn! show hosted by Bernard Ndong and James Wokabi, Dennis reflected on how the accident turned his life upside down.
“The accident changed my life dramatically. My whole life was upside down in a split of a second when I was hit by the car. I took time to accept that I won’t play rugby again after I got to know the severity of the injuries,” he said.
Dennis admitted that he struggled with depression and nearly gave up on life.
“Having the right people around me helped me to rediscover the meaning of life. The accident also made me look at life differently.
“The reason I am in sports is not just to make history but to help people going through the struggles of life and tell them that they can ultimately achieve a lot when at a bad place,” said Dennis.
