8-year-old Carla Wanjiku Nderitu- ‘Shiko Carla’- is not to be messed with.

At her age, she is already demonstrating prowess in the martial art of taekwondo. She throws fast kicks and moves precisely.

A swimmer and a skater, the multitalented Wanjiku, whose talents have been nurtured both at home and school, was able to secure a chance to compete in the Korean Ambassador Taekwondo Cup Competition in Kigali, Rwanda, where she currently is.

The five-time gold medal champion, who recently competed for a spot in the Nakuru County team and won, says she is ready to take on her competitors in the game.

“I've been practicing a lot every day. Even here, we currently have group training ahead of the game next week, and I'm excited to see other kids who are doing taekwondo. I feel a bit nervous, but I also look forward to showing what I can do,” says the yellow belt holder.

The grade 3 student at Eastmore Model Academy says she developed her interest in Taekwondo through her dad, William Gichuhi, who at first saw it fit for her to learn self-defence at the age of 5.

Wanjiku says she looks up to Bruce Lee and that her biggest supporter has been her father, who has been with her every step of the way, encouraging her to sharpen her skills.

Gichuhi says that his daughter is very energetic, and when he noticed her high level of activity, he decided to enrol her in sports.

Shiko Carla emerges number one in a previous skating competition.

Photo credit: COURTESY

“Shiko Carla is a very active girl, and we noticed this when she was still very young. We therefore enrolled her in swimming, and after honing her skills, we introduced her to taekwondo in which she has been performing very well,” he says proudly.

Both father and daughter share a vision of Wanjiku competing internationally, but Gichuhi's aspirations for his daughter are much higher.

He envisions Wanjiku not only representing her country in the future but also owning her training school.

Having won over 30 medals- gold, silver, and bronze- in all the games over time, in her free time, she tells us that she enjoys singing and providing acts of service in her role as a girl guide.

Eight year old Taekwondo champ represents Kenya in Rwanda

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Leleti Jassor