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L. MathekaTalented Olero eyeing discuss medal in Birmingham
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 22.07.22. | 18:48
Team Kenya departs the country from Friday 22 July ahead of the Club Games.
She has tried her hand at many disciplines but Sylvia Olero is heading to the Commonwealth Games set for 28 July to 8 August to represent Kenya in discuss throwing in the para category.
Olero who prides herself as a an all-round sports woman having played sitting volleyball, competed in rowing, canoeing, swimming before finding he new love discus throwing is eyeing any of the three medals on offer.
She competes in class F44 in para-category where she is ranked fifth in the world. Her ranking earned her a ticket to the Commonwealth Games.
“This is the first time I am going for the Commonwealth Games since I became an athlete. I was not a discus thrower before, I was a swimmer but I had to switch,” she explained.
Olero says she ditched swimming after being put in a higher classification which she found very difficult to compete in for of lack of opportunities.
When she was introduced to discuss in 2016, she loved it at the first attempt and according to her, this is her time to shine.
“I would love to come back home with a medal.i have been training hard and as we head to Birmingham my sight is set on making this happen so I could come back home a proud athlete,” she added.
Though she is the only para-athlete in class F44 in Kenya she has not let that stop her from competing against herself to the point of qualifying for the major championships.
"My performance speaks for itself. It seems discus throwing is my best event and that is why I concentrate on it more than swimming or any other event," she offered.
The 2016 Africa Paralympics silver medallist is gunning for a medal to build her profile in the discus event.
However, she says the doors remain open for opportunities that might arise in the other disciplines that she competes in.
