A record number of eight African countries are taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Out of all the 12 African athletes there, Kenya has one representative: 19-year-old Sabrina Simader who’s the first female alpine skier out of the country to compete in the Olympic Games.
(Photo: AFP/JIJI)
Like most African athletes at the games, Simader grew up overseas in Austria – a country with some of the best winter destinations in the world. She took advantage of her environment, got herself through training and eventually qualified for the Winter Olympics last February.
Although her father is Austrian, she decided to represent Kenya instead. But it was a bit of a challenge for her. According to her, skiing isn’t well-known in Kenya and this rubbed off badly on her organization. Yet, she pulled through, thanks to the support from her extended family.
Carrying the Kenyan flag at the opening ceremony of the Games last Friday, Simander was accompanied by Philip Boit, the first Kenyan to take part in the Winter Olympics.
UN Environment recently appointed her as the UN’s first Mountain Hero, to help draw attention to emerging environmental issues in mountain regions such as climate change, waste and loss of biodiversity.
Credit: konbini.com
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