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Esther Akinyi Ratugi has won 15 gold medals in judo but has struggled with infertility. She tells Kelvin Kamau how obesity affected her chances of getting a child, about her visits to a witchdoctor and her foundation that seeks to create awareness on lifestyle diseases
Share more about your growing up...
I was born and raised up in Muthurwa, Nairobi and I schooled at Muthurwa Primary School. I was good in sports especially shot put (The shot put is a track and field event involving “putting” a heavy spherical object, the shot as far as possible). This propelled me to join Kenya Prison Service in 2006.
So, you consider yourself a sporty girl?
Yes. I have bagged 15 medals in different competitions in the Judo Championships.
How was life in the Prisons Service?
It was good and I was in a happy place. I got married and I was blessed with a baby boy. However, when the baby turned one year, I discovered he was not doing simple things a one year ought to. After several tests, the doctors confirmed that my baby had autism and he needed to start therapy.
That must have been devastating...
Of course! It really broke my heart especially when family and friends asked me what was wrong with him. It was painful. This pushed me to get pregnant again; it was a way of healing.
I had just started my career in judo when the doctor told me I was ‘infertile’. During that period, I was travelling around the world. Sport became my new baby though I was feeling empty inside.
I was the first woman to bring a silver medal in judo from Africa Championships but people had no idea that I was going through hell. I would stand on the podium to receive medals forcing a smile, but deep down I was suffering. I would go back home, lock myself inside the room and cry.
Did you seek any form of treatment?
Yes. I had lost faith and I decided to go to Sirare to find a popular herbalist to cure me. But months later, the medicine I was given wasn’t working.
I decided to visit a witchdoctor in Ruiru. I was yearning for a child and desperation and fear of being ostracized in the society forced me to visit the witchdoctor. However, when I arrived there, the scary things I saw, made me leave in a huff!
What happened next?
I decided to look for a surrogate mother, but the whole process was too expensive. I needed close to half a million, which I couldn’t raise. I shared with a friend, who recommended a gynaecologist in Nairobi.
What did the doctor say?
The test results revealed that fat had blocked my Fallopian tubes because of being obese. I was told to lose 40 kgs if I wanted to get pregnant. The doctor also recommended I undergo tubal plastic surgery, but the procedure was risky and I could easily lose my womb, so I declined. I vowed to start losing weight.
How was it?
Tough! Losing 40 kg was no joke. I was put on a strict diet and I had to jog every morning. People would laugh at me whenever they saw me jogging in the morning, they would call me kanono but I never paid attention to them. I was determined to lose the weight and each day I worked harder and waited for a miracle.
Did the miracle finally happen?
Yes. In 2017, I learnt that I was pregnant. After 12 years, God had finally answered my prayers. I was moved to tears. I thank my dear hubby for being supportive and encouraging me. He never left me and I am grateful.
Tell us about your foundation...
I founded the Moving World Organisation that seeks to create awareness on lifestyle diseases and infertility issues. I also train inmates at Kiambu GK Prison where I work as a warden. I encourage them to maintain a healthy life.
