Against All Odds: The Fatuma Zarika Story- Part 3

NAIROBI, Kenya- After enduring a difficult childhood and early motherhood, Fatuma Njeri Zarika eventually turned to sports as an escape route to the viscous cycle of poverty that threatened to suck her daughter into a life of squalor.

In the first two parts of the SportPesa News series that chronicles the rise of the Kenyan female World Boxing Council Super Bantamweight champion’s rise to the apex of the game, Zarika described her difficult beginning before narrating the hardships she went through after an early end to her education.

The third part of the riveting tale details how fortunes started changing for the country’s eminent female boxer as she sought a way out.

A WAY OUT 

Zarika attempted to venture into the world of sports starting with football. Things did not pan out for her as she failed to display any sort of prowess in the sport, resulting in the decision to try something else.

She then went to Mathare North in Eastlands where she met Conjestina Achieng’, who later went on to become the first African woman to hold an international title after defeating Ugandan Fiona Tugume to take the vacant WIBF Middleweight crown.

Conjestina mentored Zarika and convinced her to try out boxing. Seeing as she was torn between what to do next, she agreed to start training with her in the hope that this time her efforts would bear fruit

Her decision was followed by an immediate need to take part in intense training that included early morning runs and gym sessions followed by more training.

Zarika began her amateur boxing career with the promise of joining the Kenya Police Service from her trainer.

She would train under him in Mathare North and sometimes- at the police headquarters in the hope that she would soon be able to join the force as promised.

Unfortunately, the dream would never amount to anything as the trainer had no intention to fulfil the pledge he had made to Zarika.

After plenty of hard-work, determination and that ever so evident never say die attitude, Zarika was finally ready for her maiden amateur boxing match and she was up for the challenge as she won by a fine margin.

After all her commendable efforts, she was awarded with a meagre KSh50 in an envelope and even though it was the first money she had made from boxing, it was not an amount that did much to encourage her to enter the ring for another attempt.

Lack of funds would force her to walk from Mathare North to Gikomba, a distance of approximately 14km every day to and from the gym to better her skill and improve on the little boxing knowledge she had already picked up.

Right before she called it quits in her amateur career, she squared up in the ring against her mentor and the person responsible for helping turn her into a boxer, Conjestina.

The fight ended in a draw and it was evident that Zarika had finally found something she could be great at, that could be her family’s way out.