Ashley Ongong’a has made historical past by being the primary African and Kenyan to compete in cross-country snowboarding on the Winter Youth Olympics.
The 16-year-old informed Olympics.com, “It’s a giant accountability as a result of I do know now so many Africans now learn about me. I actually hope that, [after seeing me] many different younger folks can see it as a tremendous alternative to attempt snowboarding. As a result of I feel it’s time for Africa to totally come into winter sport.”
After attempting snowboarding on the age of 4, the Kenyan-Italian pacesetter dreamed of competing on the Olympics a 12 months later. She had glided on curler skis earlier than, so she knew the way to switch her power and endurance to the snow and ice with ease.
“I used to be like three or 4 once I began to curler ski. My first coach requested my dad and mom if I may ski, and once I tried it, it grew to become my old flame. I did many different sports activities too, like dancing, however once I had to decide on, I selected cross-country snowboarding,” she recounted.
Her father, Steve Ongong’a, who immigrated to Italy, recalled that “It was through the summer time holidays when she was 4 years outdated. Her mom, Marie-Jeanne Kamba enrolled her for summer time camp actions with an area ski membership. Throughout her first skating lesson, her teacher seen she had a very good snowboarding posture and requested if she wished to attempt cross-country snowboarding… she has been coaching ever since.”
Ongong’a liked the truth that she picked it up fairly rapidly. As a toddler, she started competing in regional and nationwide contests, and by the age of ten, she was already profitable Italian age group competitions, paving the best way for her ambition.
She informed her dad and mom how a lot she loved watching the Olympics on tv and the way she hoped to compete within the Olympics at some point, waving both the Kenyan or Congo flag, when she was as younger as 5 – 6 years outdated.
She had no concept that when it got here time to decide on which nation to symbolize on the FIS circuit, her needs would come true. Ongong’a selected Kenya, her father’s native nation, due to its wealthy sporting heritage, regardless of her mom’s origins within the Congo.
Ongong’a took a cue from Philip Boit, the primary Kenyan to compete on the Winter Olympics in Nagano in 1998, after studying about his extraordinary journey.
“After that I began to have this concept of going to the Olympics and I talked about it with my coach, Francesco Silverio,” stated the coed at Bachmann Sport Faculty in Tarvisio, an Italian municipality recognized for its heavy alpine snow.
She was thrilled to search out out she would be capable of compete at Gangwon and stated that selecting Kenya was a clever resolution as a result of the nation is persistently on the prime of its respective sports activities. As the latest consultant for Kenya, Ongong’a aspires to hold on flying her nation’s flag on the Olympic Video games in a sport that’s thought of a take a look at of velocity, endurance, and adaptability, following her groundbreaking efficiency in Asia’s first Winter Youth Olympics.
She stated, “It’s all in my thoughts … if I say I can do that, I’ll do that. And as soon as I attempt to do it, I may be higher subsequent time.”
“It’s a tremendous second for me and for Africa. I actually hope that I can encourage African youth all around the world that they may additionally do this,” stated Ongong’a, who competed in her second Cross-Nation Curler Snowboarding Junior World Cup competitors this season.
