Para-boxer Samuel Odhiambo trains at Kaloleni Boxing Club in Kivumbini, Nakuru County on July 19, 2024.
Above the din of trainers shouting commands at Kivumbini Social Hall in Nakuru City, 24-year-old Samuel Odhiambo wheels himself for his daily training.
Odhiambo stands out not just because he’s the only one in a wheelchair, but because he’s one of the few para-boxers in the country, a sport recently added to the Paralympics.
His story began at the age of seven in lower primary school when a persistent stomach ailment led to a misdiagnosis and a hospital stay that would forever change his life.
Initially treated for Meningitis, a doctor's keen observation revealed he didn’t exhibit symptoms of the disease.
"My mom had tried everything, we had visited the clinics near our home, sought spiritual intervention, but I was finally admitted at the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital where doctors were treating me for Meningitis," he says.
Samuel trains with his coach Abdalla Sula (left).
He remained in the wards for a while, but one day when the Medical Superintendent was doing rounds in the wards, he chanced upon Odhiambo. He observed him for a while and the notes that accompanied his treatment. What he did next, changed the course of the athlete's life.
“The doctor handed me his phone, it wasn’t a touch screen and he asked me to play a game, I went ahead and he stood there observing me. He then called the other doctors, and told them that I was not exhibiting any Meningitis symptoms,” he says.
By then, Odhiambo had lost the use of his lower limbs, confining him to a wheelchair.
“I spent the rest of my recovery at home and had the occasional physiotherapy. Resuming school in a wheelchair became my new normal," he recalls in an interview with Nation Sport.
Despite this drastic change, his love for sports never waned. He was unable to play football and was introduced to sitting volleyball by Florence Ofwenje, a family friend and coach of Nakuru's team.
Her mentorship helped Odhiambo discover his potential and develop a sense of independence.
“She picked me from home and I started training with the team. I was really small by then and I could not even throw the ball over the net, but I kept training,” Odhiambo says.
Being around other sportspersons who are abled differently like him lifted his spirits. It even made him opt for boarding school where he spent four years away from home to help him develop a sense of independence.
“Someone can help you for a while but they get tired. It is bound to happen. I saw people living with disabilities doing everything on their own. And it moulded me into who I am today,” he says.
Playing volleyball at a competitive level has exposed Odhiambo to other sporting opportunities.
In 2017, during a competition in Machakos County, he was introduced to para-boxing, sparking a new passion.
He teamed up with Daniel Owino, a mixed martial arts coach, who has since guided him through rigorous training.
"Odhiambo has improved tremendously. He is passionate but lacks facilities and personal kits," Owino notes.
In March 2024, he earned him an opportunity to represent Kenya in Poland, but was unable to travel.
