Paris 2024: Uganda’s Husnah Kukundakwe will be ‘flaming hot’ in the pool
Paris 2024: Uganda’s Husnah Kukundakwe will be ‘flaming hot’ in the pool 30 Aug 2024
Uganda’s only Para swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe is wise beyond her years and ready to show the world she means business in the pool. The Paris 2024 Paralympics is her second Games after she became the youngest Paralympian at Tokyo 2020 aged just 14.
There she swam a personal best in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8 but missed the final. This time round, she’s hoping to shine in three events: the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8, 100m butterfly S8 and 50m freestyle S8.
She hopes for more PBs and to make the finals.
“My training has been going really really well. Lots of improvements since Tokyo,” she said.
“I’m definitely going to be flaming hot.”
The 17-year-old has been soaking up the atmosphere at the Paralympic Village ahead of her races.
“I’m very excited, nervous still,” she said.
“I’m honestly here to have fun and do my best in my races.”
Challenges
While her preparation for Paris has been relatively smooth compared to the pandemic-interrupted lead-up to the Tokyo Games, Kukundakwe says training as an elite Para athlete in Uganda still has challenges.
“It’s very, very difficult. In Uganda, we have only one 50m pool - one - and it’s not even an arena. It’s actually in a hotel and it’s very expensive to access,” she said.
“So, I end up training short-course 25m, instead of a competition pool where I’m going to compete in 50m.”
She hopes the situation can be rectified especially as swimming and Para sports grow in popularity in Uganda.
Stigma remains
Before taking up Para sport Husnah was painfully shy and self-conscious.
Born without her right forearm, Kukundakwe used to hide her missing limb underneath long sleeves.
Interacting and making friends with other athletes with disabilities helped her find confidence and see herself in a new light.
“Paralympic sport isn’t huge in Uganda. Typically, (people with) disabilities in Uganda are either abandoned or seen as curses to their family,” she said.
“But Paralympic sport has... shown people in Uganda that people with disabilities can be important to the community. They can be something, and they can be even greater than they are perceived to be.”
Outside of the pool the youngster wants to become a paediatrician and says it’s challenging juggling her training schedule and studies.
“Sundays I’m resting from swimming, but I always make sure to pick up a textbook,” she said.
“It’s all about balance and a routine.”
The young gun says she plans to qualify for the LA 2028 Paralympics but is unsure if she’ll still be swimming when the Games roll around to Brisbane in 2032.
“I would love to go to Brisbane, I haven’t been to Australia before. It would be a great opportunity.”
Catch Kukundakwe in the swimming heats on August 30, September 5 and 7.
