The UTA commit is hoping represent Canada at the U25 Worlds
Mercy Nyakundi first started playing wheelchair basketball four years ago; now, the Hamilton, Ont. native is hoping to represent Team Canada with the Women’s Under 25 Team at the World Championship this fall.
Nyakundi was introduced to wheelchair basketball as a 14-year-old when she was given the opportunity to try adaptive sports at the health care centre she was attending. Nyakundi was introduced to coach Chris Chandler through one of her teammates, who helped fuel her passion for the sport.
Born with Spina Bifida Intradural Lipoma, Nyakundi has impaired muscle power and impaired leg movement.
“I was kind of scared to get involved, and then my dad came home one day and was like, ‘Okay, get up, get in the car, we’re going,’ and that’s how I got into it. I’ve never stopped since then,” Nyakundi explained. “Chris’ encouragement and his persuasiveness kept me going in the sport. Since I was very new to it, I felt sometimes I wasn’t as good or couldn’t do something – it’s just one of those things where you’ve got to keep going and keep trying it until you get it.”
Six years ago, Nyakundi, along with her mother, older brother and younger sister, moved to Canada from Kenya to join her father, who had moved to Canada previously to further his running career.
The move was significant for Nyakundi, who was in Grade 6 at the time.
“The adjustment moving to Canada was a lot,” she said. “I think it was overwhelming. The biggest thing was the culture shock. It was a lot to change, especially with learning, education and school. I felt like I had to restart everything because it was so different from what I used to.”
This season the 18-year-old attended both the Women’s U25 camp in Toronto in March and July’s NextGen camp at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Both were opportunities to learn from National Team coaches and find areas to work on in her game.
“It has helped a lot because you think you know a lot, but then going to the development camp, I was surprised about how much I didn’t know,” said Nyakundi. “It was amazing to get the feedback from the coaches, and I’ve been using that feedback every time I get to practice. I just work on what I’ve been told to do, and it’s helped a lot.”
With the help of Chandler, Nyakundi began exploring her postsecondary options in the U.S. in June, she visited The University of Texas at Arlington, where she has committed to attend.
“I’m so excited because it will be so much exposure for me, compared to what I’m used to: the continuous training compared to here, where we’re training on weekends. There you regular weekday training and the tournaments on top of it all, it’s very exciting. I’ll be able to get so much experience that hopefully will help me in my future with the game.”
Before she heads to school, Nyakundi hopes to make Team Canada’s U25 roster for the World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand (Oct. 3-10).
“I’m looking forward to it. I’m working towards it, and I hope to wear the Team Canada jersey; I think it will be incredible to play for Canada and my country,” Nyakundi said. “It’s an opportunity that became real recently, so now I have to work for it, and I’m excited to work towards that with the team.”
Off the court, Nyakundi plans to major in Political Science, hoping to one day pursue a career as a lawyer.