Kenya's Mary Ngugi: "I've always wanted to change what's happening"

Women in Kenya want to assert themselves more, and sport is one way to do it. That is something Mary Ngugi understands. The two-time gold medallist at the World Half Marathon Championships has seen the damage caused by the discrimination women face in her country. "Being abused by men, harassed, intimidated, not being able to be themselves" – and that list is not exhaustive, as she told BBC Sport Africa. So she decided to act, and set up the Nala Track Club. "Nala is an African name for a powerful woman or a lioness. We want these girls to be that: strong, powerful, independent, someone who can say no, I'm not doing that. I'm trying to give these girls a safe place where they can be themselves. I've always wanted to change what's happening, not just in athletics but in society as well."

Saying no to inequality

The Nala Track Club began its activities in October 2022. It is based in the town of Nyahururu, which is a four-hour drive from the capital, Nairobi. Girls aged 14 to 22 attend. For Mary Ngugi, it is a way of saying no to stereotypes, because, as in many African countries, women in Kenya are sometimes confined to basic domestic roles.

"Everyone keeps saying the same thing: it's enough to be a wife, it's enough to be a better mother. You can be more than that: you can be a mother (and) an athlete. You can run your own business, you can manage your own contracts, you don't need someone else to do it for you", says Mary Ngugi. She adds, determined to help women assert themselves: "You must go to school, whether or not you can afford it. We are trying to give these girls the means to know that I am not just an athlete".

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