Inspired by Ferdinand Omanyala, the Kenyan hurdler is keen to knock Olympics champion Masai Russell off her perch, after securing a US scholarship.
Rukia Nusra is a Kenyan girl with big ambitions.
The 23-year-old ventured into unchartered territory as she competes in the 110m hurdles, a discipline Kenya is not known for.
In fact, until the emergence of Commonwealth champion and Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, Kenya struggled to produce top sprinters like was the case in the 1960s and 1970s.
Now, Nusra believes she is the next big thing in Kenyan sprints, having had some amazing experiences in the last one year.
Having taken the 100m hurdles by chance while in primary school, after she found competition in 100m tough, Nusra admits it was the best decision as she would go on to dominate the sport in various school championships.
It opened doors for her on the national and international stage and it was not long before she was representing Kenya, her first major competition being the 2017 World U18 Championships held in Nairobi.
She missed out on a ticket to the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary but her eyes are still focused on the many other events to come including the Olympics
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Rukia Nusra first represented Kenya at the 2017 World U18 Championships in Nairobi. Photo: Telecomasia
“This was where it dawned on me that I could actually make this my full-fledged career. Getting to compete in a global event was huge for a small school girl for me,” Nusra told Telecomasia.net.
“Of course, I didn’t go all the way as I only exited in the heats, but for me, it was the experience above everything. I competed with girls from well advanced countries and the margin of loss was small. It was the catalyst I needed to push me to try and compete more and work harder.
“Looking back, I can say it offered me a brilliant platform. At the moment, I look back at some of the girls who I competed against and seeing them blaze it up in the senior category gives me hope and confidence that I am on the right path.
“Britany Anderson, who won the final, competed at the World Championships and won silver, Samba Mayela from France won silver at the Olympics and so I believe I am on the right path,” she says of the runners she competed with then who have since made it big.
Since then, Nusra has enjoyed a meteoric rise and qualified to represent Kenya in both the 2023 African Games and 2024 Africa Athletics Championships, finishing sixth in both events.
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Her Personal Best time over the distance currently stands at 14.23.
However, the experience was valuable and thanks to her heroics, she received a massive opportunity when she landed a US scholarship to study nursing as she hones her athletics skills in Akron, Ohio.
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Rukia Nusra secured a life-changing scholarship to the US. Photo/Telecomasia
“Getting an opportunity not just to advance the sport that I love but also study was an amazing combination,” she said of the US scholarship.
“In terms of my career, this was really huge because if you compare here and back at home, there is a world of difference especially as far as facilities are concerned. The US is a great country known for its sprinters and coming here has exposed me to so much.”
The sprinter is now not just learning from the best but also getting access to world class facilities and the results are very encouraging.
“It is the start of the indoor season and I have been doing the 60m hurdles, and my times have been improving every time. I have been able to run a personal best at every NCAA meet I have gone to,” she added.
“This has been my first-ever experience doing the indoor sprint and I have a personal best of 8.57 on the 60 hurdles and 7.85 on the 60 flat. It shows me that I have worked so hard in a short period of time and it also goes to show just how much I can achieve in the near future.”
These experiences are giving Nusra hope that a place at the 2025 World Championships and ultimately 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is within reach.
“This year, my goals are definitely bigger. I want to try and attain the qualification time for the World Championships for starters,” says the sprinter, who would be the first East African to compete in the 100m hurdles, if she secures qualification.
“That has been my biggest goal for a while. I tried for the last World Champs in Hungary but wasn’t successful. At the moment, I am running 13s high and my target is to dip under 13 for the first time. With how I have started the season and the progress I am making, this is a possibility.
“In the long term, my target is to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2028. I have three years to put in the work and I trust in myself, I know that it is achievable.”
Nusra, who draws inspiration from Omanyala, hopes she would have come of age by 2028 and ready to knock Olympics champion Masai Russell off her perch. Given she is now training in the US, it is possible if she keeps her eyes on the ball.
