Olivia Igadwa: Juggling Rugby, Motherhood and Career

Many have quit active rugby because of increased responsibilities, but not one Olivia Igadwa. Olivia is a mother of one, a wife, a teacher at Nakuru West Primary and a player attached to the Nakuru Ladies outfit.

Olivia describes herself as simple, God-fearing and a lover of all sports and in particular rugby. Her journey in the game started out in the touchline as a fan. With time she loved it and thought why not play? However, there was no active ladies outfit in Nakuru then.

In 2013, she got word of a ladies team that used to train on Sunday afternoons at the Nakuru Athletics Club. It turned out to be Top fry Nakuru Ladies team. She joined, first as a winger and as she progressed, she became a dependable front row.

For her, rugby acts as an enabler for all the other activities. “I really enjoy the game as a player. It keeps me fit and refreshes my mind after a long day of work.”

I have personally witnessed many talented players hang their boots after giving birth but Olivia didn’t. How comes? “After giving birth I needed to shed off the weight; rugby came in handy. It was tough keeping up with the rest of the team but with hard work and persistence, I finally did it.”

At school where she works, her contribution to sports has seen her elevated to the slot of Games Mistress. She took advantage of this position to introduce rugby to young kids. “Most kids have benefitted a lot through rugby.” She also teaches Kiswahili, Physical Education (P.E) and Social Studies at the same school.

During her P.E lessons, she trains rugby. This is evident by how popular rugby is among the pupils. I have attended several sessions and the number of pupils involved in rugby is huge. How has she managed to do this? “It is not easy managing a big number of kids who desire to learn and play rugby. I take advantage of the various P.E lessons and use the older kids to teach/train the younger ones.”

Well, for such a person juggling lots of responsibilities, a strong support system is important. “My husband is also a rugby player and he supports me on and off the pitch. I have accomplished a lot through his support.”

She says that most of her pupils and even colleagues have taken interest in the game because of her. “When kids see you as their teacher playing they get the urge to join the game. That is how I have managed to gather more and more numbers at school. Even my own kid loves rugby because of our interest in the game.”

When she is not teaching and playing, Olivia takes up other roles in the game such as management. Last August, she was the Team Manager for the Nakuru RFC Delegation to the East African Age Grade festival in Uganda. The team consisted of Under 18 Boys and Girls and Under 15 Boys and Girls.

Parting Shot: “For young moms, training is important if you want to shed the extra weight gained during pregnancy. It will be difficult at first but eventually, it will be fun. For career women; use the free time you get to release work stress through training. It really helps in realigning your mind to your other responsibilities.

Olivia is simply an inspiration to so many ladies out there who might be thinking of quitting the game due to an “Overload” of commitments. It only takes a little discipline to do it all. Young mothers and career women, there is still room for you in the game.

As usual, take care of yourself and those you love. Stay Home and Stay Safe.

Originally published at https://themaverick.co.ke on April 7, 2020.