Joyce Wambui Njuguna

There are sports that require speed, others that rely on critical thinking and some, like weightlifting that simply test the precision of strength.

Weightlifting was conceptualized to encourage lifting of heavy barbells, while maintaining the grace of a swan! A strict diet and an “I Can” attitude play a significant role in an athletes prosperity in this sport. For the Paukwa People that would want to get into an extra ordinary sport, we’re here to tell you that perhaps weightlifting is a place to look.

The sport encourages a focus on two moves –  First, there’s the ‘snatch’ which is a wide grip one move lift and secondly, the clean and jerk – a close grip two move lift. Weightlifters receive three attempts in each of the two and the combined total of the highest two successful lifts determines the overall result within a body

Photo Copyright: The Star

weight category. A lifter who fails to complete at least one successful snatch and one successful clean and jerk also fails to total, and therefore receives an “incomplete” entry for the competition.  It actually is more complicated than it looks! Although now common amongst both genders, before the XXVII Olympiad in Australia weightlifting was a competition only for men.

As we’ve come to see, Kenyans are real all rounders. At the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, we secured our first medal in weightlifting thanks to the strength of Joyce Wambui Njuguna. Under the Women’s 61KG weight category, Joyce managed to outshine numerous hopefuls and placed third for the Kenyan flag. We see her as motisha , one who  continuously enhances our strength and is a weightlifter of #OurFlag. Hongera Joyce for keeping it Kenyan!