One of the most honourable duties the National Olympic Committee undertakes is presentation of national kit to Team Kenya members.
My highlight of that noble duty was this year when I had the privilege of presenting kit to Ashley Tshanda Ongong’a and Issa Gachingiri Laborde.
I have seen many athletes excited by this ritual but the sight of Ashley receiving the kit is still fresh in my memory. I could best describe it as “touchable excitement”.
Listening to her story later sought of put things in perspective. She has grown up in Italy and her greatest dream was to represent her mother country – Kenya in sports.
During the World Skiing Championship in Courchevel-Meribel, France where Kenya’s Sabrina Simader was participating, we had an opportunity to meet another Kenyan family. They had made an hour’s drive to come cheer Sabrina. Inside the warm cottages of the resort to hide from the chilling weather outside we had an opportunity to meet Issa and his family.
Ashley and Issa, accompanied by their families, later visited Kenya and the conversations about them representing Kenya continued. Within months the NOC-K Secretariat had done all the ground work on their registration with the International Skiing Body and the International Olympic Committee and established possible pathways for actualiSing these youngsters’ dreams.
A number of meetings were scheduled between the International Skiing Federation (FIS) and IOC. Grants to support their training were obtained to assist them. Qualifying events were established and the hard work of trying to get requisite points began.
They obtained scholarships for training in South Korea through the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa. This gave Ashley and Issa an opportunity to meet.
The hard work continued including looking for competitions, raising funds to travel and participate, securing the right equipment at affordable price.
It was therefore one of the proudest moment of 2023 when we got the privilege of informing Ashley and Issa of their qualification to the Youth Winter Olympics Gangwon 2024 in Cross-Country Skiing and Alpine Skiing respectively.
We have seen dreams realised by many athletes but for these two, it was extra special.
The Youth Winter Olympics will take place in Gangwon, South Korea from the January 19 to February 1. Some 79 countries will participate. In this “white” sport we will have two athletes from a country placed right at the centre of equator.
Ashley and Issa will be joining other Kenyan greats who have illuminated the path. The first was Philip Boit in cross-country skiing, then Sabrina, who is now preparing for 2026 Winter Olympics. She started in the Youth Olympics and participated in Winter Olympics 2018 and numerous World Championships.
The National Olympic Committee in collaboration with the government, federations and other stakeholders is committed to supporting dreams of athletes. The pleasure is seeing them achieved and we cannot wait for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony to see Ashley and Issa fly the Kenyan flag high.
