Disability not inability for Kakundakwe

Okundakwe (right-back) poses with Sir Apollo Kaggwa girls' relay team alongside those of Greenhill after the fourth edition of the Uganda Swimming Federation National Midland Primary Schools Swimming Gala at Greenhill Academy.  PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga

USF Midland Primary Swimming Gala

Combined team scores

Green Hill Academy                 1,776 pts
Seeta Junior School                 1,722 pts
Kampala Parents                     1,362 pts
Kampala Junior Academy         1,100 pts
Sir Apollo Primary School         900 pts
St Catherine Junior School       211 pts
Train Up a Child                       245 pts
Palace Junior Academy            237 pts
King Fahad Islamic School        185 pts
Mother Care Primary               94 pts

Husinah Kakundakwe is a 10- year old swimmer touched with genius, truly sensational! You just have to watch her to believe.

Disabled (without a right hand) she can easily be disregarded and written off instantly at first sight.

But when you take the weight off your feet and watch her swim, you can then only see her with rose tinted glasses - she surely does wonders in the pool.

A primary six student from Sir Apollo Kaggwa, Mengo, she was a star attraction on March, 10, at the Green Hill Academy in Kibuli.

Despite the hosts taking plaudits for winning the championship on 1,776 pts, Kakundakwe was the major talking point as fellow athletes could not stop marveling at the youngster.

She participated in the 50m freestyle clocking 49.55,100 IM finishing at 2:04.54. Her failure to win in both events was nothing much of a big deal as her ability to compete and more so against able bodied swimmers made more sense.

Happiness in spite of adversity holds true to the youngster who started out swimming at a tender age.

She is a true inspiration to thousands of young people especially her school mates who seem not to run out of words describing the uniqueness in her.

However, she is a stranger at top international Para swimming championships, but she has experienced the moments in second hand; on the screen.

Technically, she would carry Uganda's hopes if and when the country features at the Para Swimming World Series.