Ogallo continues solo battle to keep taekwondo on world map

When the star-studded Kenyan contingent for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics took the flight to Japan, a young and ambitious girl comprised the team. 

She was determined to change the stereotype that has over the years condemned the country to track and field events. 

Faith Ogallo, 28, vowed to stamp authority in the field of taekwondo. Although she never made the podium, her sojourn will most likely inspire generations to come. 

Ogallo was born February 3, 1994, in Butula, Busia county to Mark Ongoma and Mary Adhiambo.

She is the last-born child in a big family of 19 children. She recalls her grandfather as a no-nonsense polygamous man who maintained a high level of discipline.

 "I grew up in a rural area in a big family with 19 siblings. My grandfather was a big chief with many wives. He trained us to maintain a clean compound and to ensure a safe environment."

 Ogallo kept her focus on education even as her thirst to excel in sports remained unquenchable. 

"I attended Butula Hekima Academy, where I sat for my KCPE exams and got 342 marks that were enough to secure me a slot at Butere Girls High School.

"But I instead went to Mariasoti Educational Centre in Kerio South, a school that was owned by the late Kenyan politician Nicholas Biwott where I was fortunate enough to earn a partial scholarship."

She ultimately managed a B plain in her KCSE exams and got admitted to Kibabii University to study for a bachelor's degree in Social Work. It was at Kibabii that her potential came to the fore and she set out on a new challenge. Eliakim Otieno, a sports scientist, and taekwondo coach took notice of her sporting prowess as she participated in one of the games. 

"Coach Otieno convinced me to switch my attention and dedicate myself fully to taekwondo, telling me I possessed the qualities to succeed in the sport.

"In high school, I played basketball quite a lot. My interest in taekwondo began during my years at Kibabii. I owe my success to university games because they gave me the exposure I needed to get noticed on the national stage."

In 2018 she plunged herself into the game of taekwondo guided by coach Otieno and she has never looked back ever since.

Determined to help her carve a niche in the Hall of Fame, Otieno went out of his way and registered Ogallo at the Rwanda Korean Ambassadors Championship, where she surpassed expectations and bagged a gold medal.

The feat set her career on course and she soon found herself adding honours and titles to her trophy cabinet.

"I participated in the East African Games, which helped me develop my skills on a large scale. For instance, I got the opportunity to learn about electronic scoring for the first time in Rwanda during the regional games.

"I also attended university games in Dodoma, Tanzania which built me. From there, I participated in the national trials in 2019. I was selected to represent the country in the All-Africa Games. We went to Egypt for a two-weeks training camp."

Ogallo stormed the silver podium at the 2019 Africa Games in Rabat, Morocco. She later qualified for the Olympics at the 2020 African Taekwondo Olympic Qualification tournament in Dakar, Senegal, and in the process sharpened her talons well enough to secure a slot in the Tokyo 2020 Games.

It was the first time a Kenyan was flying the country's flag in a taekwondo event at the Olympics in 13 years. Ogallo, who was the only Kenyan taekwondo player in Tokyo, crashed out at the preliminary stage of the competition after losing to Serbian Milica Mandic 13-0 in the +67kg category.

She secured an automatic berth at the Games after bagging bronze during the Africa Taekwondo Championships as well as silver at the 12th edition of the Africa Games.

Her list of achievements is endless and she continues to bask in the glow of her meteoric rise in the game at a tender age. In November 2021, she participated in the Queen's Baton Relay, where she honed her skills ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Ogallo employs modern training methods to provide her with the necessary cutting-edge, and this has propelled her to the heights she had never imagined she would attain.

"I'm a two-time African championships bronze medalist in Dakar, Senegal, and Kigali, Rwanda. I qualified for the Grand Pix but I wasn't fortunate enough to land a sponsor. It was a time Covid-19 had hit us badly and my family could not raise my air ticket to the games. She suffered a setback when she was barred from competing in the University Games due to her vast experience and the edge she has as a global athlete.

“I have competed at the international platform and because of my experience and exposure, and so I was not allowed to compete,” she said.

But Ogallo's success is not only in the competitive world of sports. She also happens to be a vocal advocate of environmental conservation. She developed a keen interest in the environment during her formative years.

"My main concern is how to get rid of pollution and maintain a clean atmosphere. I find the air toxic during training and I can hardly get some fresh air into my lungs which is a huge cause for concern."

She has taken the bold step to educate others and encourage them to conserve the environment. "My success in taekwondo has raised my self-confidence and given me the courage to face people and address them in such matters."

Ogallo said she learned a lot of conservatory skills from her father. "In primary school, I introduced an environmental club and tried to get my schoolmates on board, urging them to join me in growing seedlings and planting trees.

"When Ogallo eventually moved to Nairobi, she met with nothing but an eyesore, apathetic environment which she thought needed some total overhaul.

"There were many dumpsites and litter everywhere. I noticed the place had very few trees and immediately got the urge to help change the situation."

She made a resolve to address the situation and soon found herself visiting slum areas to talk to residents about the importance of keeping their environment clean.

"By that time I had made some savings from sports so I decided to acquire gloves, boots, and wheelbarrows and organised groups in various slums to clean up their environment."

Her passion for conserving the environment has seen her write funding proposals to get sponsorships from the well-oiled corporate world.

“It's everyone's responsibility to protect nature. We need to mind about the future generations and leave the environment cleaner than we found it. Unless we do so, our progeny won’t have anything to smile about.”

When Ogallo is neither playing a game of taekwondo nor addressing matters of environment, she is busy keeping herself fit in other sporting activities.

"Anytime I'm not training, I spend my free time playing a host of other sports, especially basketball,  netball, athletics, and handball."