When it comes to javelin, your upper body strength is your greatest asset. With a spear in one hand firmly clasping onto a corded grip and your muscles’ ability to throw it as far as possible, it’s no easy sport. For Lucy Wanjiru, javelin throw was more than just a forte, it was the field sport that led to her trademark at the Olympic games for people with physical disabilities – better known as the Paralympics.
Born and raised in Murang’a county, Lucy had just celebrated her thirteenth birthday when she accidentally fell into a pit, leaving her with a fractured spine. The accident was devastating for Lucy and her parents, and so began a trying time both emotionally and financially. Lucy’s rescue came when she was admitted at Limuru Cheshire Home – a rehabilitation centre that catered to people with disabilities. While there, she received training on how to care for herself on a wheelchair and slowly built back the assurance that life would proceed.
In 1973 the Paralympics was growing in popularity and was accepting athletes from around the globe. It was a chance for Kenyans with disabilities to get into a recognized international sporting competition. By then, Lucy had mastered wheeling herself around without any difficulty and was intrigued at the idea of competing in sports. She took her chance and in the weeks that followed, began training with other Kenyans at the Nairobi Club, where she would be dropped off three times a week.
The Kenya team came together in 1980 and Lucy Wanjiru was among the competitors for javelin. She could hardly have known how much her investment in training would pay off. Lucy threw her Javelin to a new Olympic record of 13.62m – beating the standing record of 12.80m and securing her a gold medal in the javelin throw Class III category!
In June of that year, the sports ministry awarded her with an Orbisports Award where she received a commemorative certificate and sports equipment courtesy of Adidas. Lucy’s victory didn’t stop there. In 1988, she bagged yet another medal in the same category and although she came in second, she remains Kenya’s best female javelin athlete to date. Her presence in the Paralympic games remains memorable among Kenyans.
We celebrate sports heroine Lucy Wanjiru for making a mark in global sports and reminding us that limitations in life are only in our mind.
Do you avidly follow Kenyan sports? Are there other sports personalities you remember from the 80s? Let us know in the comments below.