Chanelle Wangari is only twelve years old, but her childhood has done nothing but motivate her to keep doing her best. You see, despite her age or height, Chanelle has travelled beyond the +254 borders in the name of golf; and it’s not just traveling for leisure, but to compete against some of the world’s best under fifteen golfers.

At five years old, Chanelle had started familiarizing herself with the golf courses in Nairobi. Her parents invested in a pair of junior golf clubs and golf wear for their daughter, and soon, she was learning the basics of golf: putting, score cards and even the names of golf champions – both Kenyan and International stars. In this way, golf became a hobby and Chanelle looked forward to every moment she could spend on the course.

It took daily practice which meant she would avail herself every day after school and on weekends for at least two hours to practice. It was this habit that instilled discipline in her, and allowed her to experience the results of dedication.

In 2013 Chanelle flew down to South Africa where she competed against other junior golfers on the continent in the Africa Junior Golf Challenge. Undoubtedly, Chanelle bagged a steady win, placing our country on a global scale as the competition had attracted investors from beyond Africa. Then in 2015, at the Pinehurst Country Club in Los Angeles, Wangari finished 40th in her category, and in the following year, she earned a spot in the top eight overall.

Three years later, in August 2018, Chanelle emerged ninth in the US Kids World Golf Championship – a two-day event held in North Carolina. Chanelle managed to secure the ninth position overall after a stiff competition where she was up against 117 other girls.

Since then, Chanelle has participated in a plethora of golfing competitions around the world. She loves golf because she is able to measure her improvement through the sport. If she does well in one level, she can advance to the next.

Despite this success, Chanelle remains grounded: school is a top priority; her education takes precedence and golf comes a close second. Her dreams for the future are bright and positive. Chanelle hopes to play in the Ladies Professional Golf Association – an organization for female professional golfers.

We salute Chanelle for her hard work, her passion and her commitment to getting the best swing and scores on all those golf score boards.