Wanjiku excited to represent Kenya at World Championships as she eyes Olympics

Wanjiku is bubbling with excitement ahead of the 2026 Summer Olympics to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. She is currently representing the country at the World Skii Championships which commenced on February 6 and will conclude on February 19.

“I love Kenya…this is my homeland. My family is here and my loved ones are here. That’s why I am representing Kenya,” Wanjiku said.

She added that her journey in the sport was not a walk in the park in the initial stages as she faced a lot of backlash and discouragements. She said she was also initially afraid as she had never seen snow before and she would cry because of the cold.

“I was the only black skier and it was not easy. I would cry a lot because of the cold,” she said, adding that her mother received the news with a lot of fright but eventually came to embrace the news positively.

She noted that winning a championship at 13-years-old turned things around and she believed in herself more.

“Initially, people would look at me and wonder what I was doing…it was discouraging. When I won a championship in Syria, things changed…fellow athletes started treating me with respect and my self-confidence developed,” she said.