African fencing champion Alexandra Ndolo is hoping to win a historic gold in Paris while inspiring in other ways too.
Not many athletes have switched from competing for Germany to Kenya, but then Alexandra Ndolo – a former military veteran-turned-model who is eyeing Africa’s first Olympic fencing gold medal – is not one to take the easy option.
“I feel like even when it has been hard, he's with me every step of the way,” Ndolo told BBC Sport Africa.Africa has won just two Olympic fencing medals, with Egypt’s Alaaeldin Abouelkassem taking silver in 2012 in the men’s individual foil before Tunisian Ines Boubakri won bronze in the women’s foil four years later.
“I hope that I will reach an even bigger audience with the Olympics – and that I will inspire not just East African black and brown girls, but black and brown girls all over the world.”When Ndolo appeared on the front cover of the Playboy Olympic magazine for Tokyo 2020, as a woman proudly displaying her African roots it was a major stop on an ongoing journey.
“They were zooming in on my hair, my skin, the shape of my nose – it was basically an everyday campaign for a whole school year, telling me that I was not pretty.”Ndolo has been posting revealing photos online - in an 'artistic way', she hopes - in a bid to boost body positivity amoung younger womenDuring the shoot, she insisted on having her hair natural – as many Africans would have – and not straight.
“I left this really strong, secure German support system where basically I just had to come with my bags packed to the airport and everything was ready,” she explained.
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