Multiple World and Commonwealth Games Para-powerlifting medalist Hellen Wawira is focused on one goal this afternoon as she competes at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris: to secure a medal for Kenya and avoid disappointment.
With Kenya yet to win a medal at the Games, there are concerns that this could be one of the team’s poorest performances in history. However, a confident Wawira remains hopeful as she prepares to compete in the 41kg and below category at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
“My preparation has been good, both from home and during my month in France. I can say I have improved tremendously in my technique; I did not expect to progress so much in such a short time, and I can promise Kenyans something good,” asserted a confident Wawira after her weigh-in yesterday at the athletes’ village, where she weighed 40.5 kilograms.
She added: “At the Tokyo Games, I lifted 95 kilogrammes and finished fifth. I’m confident of doing better this time around. When I left Kenya last month, I was lifting 95kg, but here I’ve been doing drop sets of 110kg, which gives me a lot of power. I’ve done my part with my coach; now the remaining bit is for God to help us.”
Hellen Wawira, who only gained access to a modern gymnasium in March this year, has triumphed over numerous challenges related to her disability to achieve significant success on the international stage. She has earned seven medals—three gold, one silver, and three bronze—across various international powerlifting events over the past nine years.
Her impressive haul includes medals from the World Cup Powerlifting Championships, World Powerlifting Championships, Commonwealth Games, and African Games, a notable achievement highlighted by her coach, David Waore.
The only medal missing from her collection is a Paralympic medal, which she aims to secure at the Paris Summer Games. With defending champion Guo Lingling from China not competing, Wawira will face strong contenders, including Indonesian Ni Nengah Widiasih, a silver medalist from Tokyo, and the reigning world champion Cui Zhe of China.
At 32, Wawira, a 2012 graduate of Joy Town School for the Disabled in Thika, began her powerlifting career in 2015.
