Samwel Mushai Kimani

Started: He took up the sport in 2006. (Athlete, 26 Aug 2012) Reason: In 2003 he enrolled at St. Francis School for the Blind in West Pokot County in Kenya, where he met fellow Kenyan visually impaired Para athlete Joseph Lomong. "I thought my world and sporting dream had ended when I turned blind but [Lomong] told me becoming blind wasn't the end of the world and that I should take up Para athletics, a sport which I had a lot of interest in. Also, when I joined school, I made some friends there who were running. They started telling me that you can make it if you train. I started training with them until I made it." (michezoafrika.com, 18 Jan 2018; nation.co.ke, 04 Sep 2012) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (nation.africa, 23 Apr 2024) Awards: He and rower Asiya Sururu were Kenya's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) He was named Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year for 2017. (nation.africa, 23 Apr 2024) Additional Info: <B>Guide</B> Jean Kipchumba (nation.africa, 23 Apr 2024)