Kenya’s first speed skier, Sabrina Simader aims for professional career

(Reuters) – Skiers from African nations are usually looked on as a novelty at the Olympic Games but Kenya’s Sabrina Wanjiku Simader is deadly serious about her career.

The 19-year-old, has already taken her first steps on the World Cup Alpine skiing circuit and harbors ambitions to establish herself as a professional.

Significantly, Simader competes in the more challenging and dangerous speed disciplines, downhill and Super G. Usually, racers from outside the traditional Alpine skiing nations do not venture beyond the less risky slalom and giant slalom.

“Because I‘m a Kenyan, that makes me exotic and some people think I can’t ski well,” she told reporters after competing in the Super G at St Moritz, the second World Cup race of her career.
“I want to give a good performance that helps me to become a professional.”

“At the beginning, people looked at me – okay, a black skier always gets looked at – but when your performances get better and you improve, you win them over,” she said.

Simader will become only the second Kenyan to compete at the Winter Games after Philip Boit, a former middle distance runner who participated in cross-country skiing at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Games.

While other teams on the FIS circuit boast an impressive staff of coaches, fitness trainers, doctors, physiotherapists and media officers, the Kenya team consists of 3 members: Simader, her mother Sarah and coach Christian Reif.

Sarah Simader, who effectively does the work of the Kenya ski federation, emphasized the importance of Reif’s role.

“In our small team, it’s not easy, because our trainer is training, he services the skis, he organizes everything,” she said.

Sabrina Simader, has already competed at the Winter Youth Games in 2016 and last year’s world skiing championships in St Moritz.