Malkia Strikers middle blocker Gladys Ekaru will not rest on her laurels after being crowned the best blocker in the African Women's Nation Championship that ended on Sunday in Rwanda.
The Kenya Pipeline player,22, was feted for her unparalleled performance as Kenya was beaten 3-1 by Cameroon in the final, finishing second for the third consecutive time in the history of the competition.
Even though Ekaru is basking in the glory of the achievement, she vowed to remain hard at work adding that her best is yet to come as she looks to become the complete player she dreamt of when she was a teenager.
"Winning the best blocker award is no mean achievement. I am proud of my performance but I don't want this to get into my head. I thank God because in my career, I have always had the desire to be the best ever player in my position and I am on the right track," she said.
"This is just the start. With more commitment to training, I strongly believe my best is yet to come. I have set a standard but maintaining needs me to become an all-action player."
Despite her age, Ekaru has already amassed enough experience under her belt. She was part of the Malkia team for the Olympics qualifiers in Cameroon in 2020 as Kenya overcame the hosts to book the sole African slot.
Undoubtedly, she ran the show for Kenya at Tokyo alongside the exceptional Sharon Chepchumba under the guidance of the Brazilian coaches seconded to Kenya by FIVB.
"It's all about discipline and hard work. Indeed hard work pays. I have not had rest since the year started and what I have learnt is that for every sacrifice there's a reward at the end."
She added: "I want to leave a legacy when I exit the stage so that I can be an inspiration to the future generation. I now train my eyes on winning a global prize with Malkia because the team comes first for me."
Ekaru has her fingers crossed that the knee injury sustained in the final won't keep her out for long.
"About the injury, I can't say it's more serious because the pain has lessened. Hopefully, I won't be on the sidelines for a while."
