Kenya's second-ever winter Olympian Sabrina Wanjiku Simader is targeting a podium finish at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Simader, 21, the reigning African Alpine skier has had a good run this year and will be receiving a scholarship in November to aid in her preparations for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She has won Slovenian and African Alpine Skiing Championships held in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.
The Kenyan skier who lives and trains in Austria is grateful to the National Olympic Committee of Kenya for the scholarship and notes that it will go a long way in her build up to Beijing 2022. This year, Simader is hopeful of raking in World Cup points and then prepare for the World Championships in 2020.
She said the sport is very expensive and it’s time she sought support to maintain her technical team. " I even had to do away with my manager at the end of 2018 because of the cost. Currently, I have the coach and physical and mental trainer," she noted.
“Winter sports are very expensive and I am thankful to NOC-K for the scholarship and I hope other corporate entities can come on board. I really need financial support. We are travelling the whole year for international races worldwide and I’m happy to get the Nock Scholarship but we still need a lot more support to get to the top and work professionally,” said Simader who has previously raced for Austria as a child.
Francis Mutuku, the Nock secretary general (Ag) said for the 2022 Winter Olympics, their plan is to build a team around Simader.
“Our concentration is on one athlete until we get to know of any other out there. Most of the time our athletes don’t get to compete at international levels hence no exposure. However, when it comes to the big events we expect them to perform very well. We have to invest in them and enter them in several competitions ahead of the World and Olympic championships to have huge expectations,” averred Mutuku, who was flanked by Elite Performance Program chief Humphrey Kayange and Women in Sports caucus chair Paurvi Rawal.
