The Paralympics have finished, and I could not be prouder of Kennedy Ogada. He finished 11th in the time trial and did not finish the road race. Those results hide a story.
Two weeks before the Games, Kennedy and his pilot, Benson Mwaniki, were hit by a car in training. Benson fractured his spine and shoulder. The bike I built for Kennedy was damaged too.
Kennedy refused to let it end there. Oscar Dennis, a former rugby player turned triathlete, stepped in as his new pilot. They had days to learn to ride together. What they did with that time was heroic, and I am hugely grateful to Oscar for his commitment.
How we got here
I first met Kennedy at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, during the track events in London, when he was piloted by Peter Mwangi. His potential was obvious straight away. Since then I have supported him through several competitions, including the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow. Earlier this year he won the time trial and took second in the road race at the African Championships.
A first for Kenya
These Games were the first time Kenya had a cyclist at the Paralympics. With the Kenyan Paralympic Committee now backing cycling, it will not be the last. We now have two new tandems, one for road and one for track, sourced from Dolan Bikes, which opens the door for future riders.
Kennedy's bike will be back up and running soon. This journey has had huge highs and real lows, and his resilience carries him through all of it. The best is yet to come for Kennedy and for Kenyan para-cycling.
We coach para-cyclists, including tandem. If that is you, get in touch.
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