Sports
Ugandan Teen Paralympian Breaks Stereotypes with Determination
At just 14, Husnah Kukundakwe was the youngest Paralympian at the Tokyo Games. Now, at 16, the Ugandan swimmer faces another tough challenge in Paris next year, but she’s no stranger to defying expectations—even those of her own mother.
Born without her right forearm and with an impairment in her left hand, Kukundakwe started swimming at the age of three in her local kindergarten pool.
"I would just go there, play around, splash in the water, and I felt happy. I love being in the water," she shared.
Her mother, however, initially had reservations.
"In the beginning, my mum wasn't supportive... she was worried I wouldn't be able to swim," Kukundakwe told AFP.
But after seeing her daughter’s determination, her mother, Hashima Patience Batamuriza, eventually relented. "After realizing I wasn’t going to stop going into the water, she eventually gave in," Kukundakwe said, recalling her early days from a training session in a suburb of Uganda's capital, Kampala.
At just nine years old, Kukundakwe won her first competition, outpacing able-bodied swimmers.
"It opened my mum's eyes that I could do better," she said, smiling at the memory of her victory.
From then on, her mother, who is now her manager, allowed her to swim without flotation vests, marking the beginning of a journey that would eventually take Kukundakwe to the Paralympics.
Despite spending hours in the pool each week, the teenager never imagined competing on a global stage.
"It was something I hadn’t considered because I didn’t know para swimming or sports for people with disabilities like me existed," she admitted.
A trip to Kenya's capital, Nairobi, became a turning point for the then 11-year-old, who had only practiced alongside able-bodied swimmers.
In Nairobi, she met other disabled athletes for the first time.
"I started feeling comfortable with myself. If people with disabilities greater than mine... could feel confident doing what they love most, and that is swimming, why not me?"
This newfound confidence led her to secure certification to participate in international sporting events, attend a swimming camp in South Korea, and eventually compete in the World Para Swimming World Series 2019 in Singapore.
The pinnacle of her journey came when she qualified for the Tokyo Games. However, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted her preparation as Ugandan authorities closed swimming pools and gyms.
Undeterred, she began jogging with her father, a civil engineer, and her older brothers, and even took swimming lessons via Zoom.
When the Games were finally held in August 2021, Kukundakwe competed in the SB8 100m breaststroke. Though she didn’t make it to the finals, she achieved a personal best time of 1 minute 34.35 seconds.
Reflecting on the experience, she said it was both "amazing" and "nerve-wracking because I was competing with Paralympics legends and also meeting my role models face-to-face."
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