Trailblazing Kenyan fencing queen begins road to Paris Olympics

Kenya has only gotten medals in athletics and boxing at the Olympics.

But that could change as soon as the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

One history-making woman is determined to alter that landscape in a not so familiar sport in Kenya ....fencing!

Alexandra Ndolo’s journey to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games started in earnest last weekend when she represented Kenya for the first time at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) World Cup in Tallinn, Estonia.

Ndolo, the 2022 World Fencing Championships Epee silver medallist finished 10th out of 271 women in the epee competition on Saturday.

“I made history yesterday as the first Kenyan woman to ever compete at an FIE....I am not going to lie seeing the flag raised high in the hall was definitely an emotional moment,” said the 36-year-old, who ditched Germany in September this year to start competing for Kenya.

“Great start into this new season,” said Ndolo, who was ranked ninth in epee during the 2021/22 FIE season.

Besides the Paris 2024 Olympics, Ndolo hopes to represent Kenya at the Africa Fencing Championships, 2023 World Fencing Championships in Milan and 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Australia.

FIE season runs from September to July where Ndolo targets to accumulate points towards a good ranking that could hand her a place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.  

Ndolo said she has already turned her focus on the next FIE World Cup event on December 8 to 12 in Vancouver, Canada.

Ndolo switched her allegiance to Kenya after she gave Germany silver in women’s epee during the World Fencing Championships held July 15 to 23 this year in Cairo, Egypt.

Ndolo lives in Cologne but features for Bayer 04 Leverkusen Club under coach Hugo Dergal.

Ndolo, who embraced fencing at the age of 21, was born to a Polish mother and Kenyan father, Donald Ndolo on August 13, 1986 in Bayreuth, Northern Bavaria, Germany.

Unfortunately, Donald, who hailed from Seme, Kisumu County, passed away when Ndolo was 10.