Rukia Nusra, 23, has been making waves in the Kenyan athletics scene since she burst into the limelight proper last year, making the Kenyan team for both the Africa Games and the Senior Africa Athletics Championships.

Nusra competes in the 100m hurdles, an event that is viewed mostly as ‘unconventional’ not just in Kenya, but in the East Africa region. Within one year, in 2024, Nusra twice broke the national record, enroute to making her first pair of senior duties in individual events.
This was just after she had made Kenya’s team for the World Relay Championships in Silesia, Poland in 2021. Inspired by the success of Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala, Nusra is confident of becoming the next sprints star coming off Kenya.
For a sport she has competed in since she was in Primary School, the 23-year old has huge dreams. She has recently acquired a sports scholarship at the University of Akron in the United States, where she is now pursuing a degree in nursing alongside chasing her athletics dream.

From her base in Akron, Ohio, Nusra opened up in an exclusive interview with telecomasia.net on her dreams, ambitions and long term goals.
- How has life been since moving to the United States?
- It has been great honestly, adapting to a new culture, a new way of life as well as balancing between books and sports. It hasn’t been all that smooth sailing but I am one person who loves challenges and I have loved this one. So far so good. I have settled in really well and I feel comfortable at the moment.
- How massive was this opportunity to study and compete in the US?
- This was a really great opportunity for me. Getting an opportunity not just to advance the sport that I love but also study was an amazing combination. In terms of my career this was really huge because if you compare here and back at home, there is a world of difference especially as far as facilities are concerned. The US is a great country known for its sprinters and coming here has exposed me to so much.

- Do you feel some improvement if you look at yourself now and when you came?
- Already, I feel like I have greatly improved. It is the start of the indoor season and I have been doing the 60m hurdles, and my times have been improving every time. I have been able to run a personal best at every NCAA meet I have gone. This has been my first ever experience doing the indoor sprint and I have a personal best of 8.57 on the 60 hurdles and 7.85 on the 60 flat. It shows me that I have worked so hard in a short period of time and it also goes to show just how much I can achieve in the near future.
- Kenya is a country mostly known for middle and long distance athlete. But, you chose a distance and event not frequented by many. Why was this so?
Well, when I was in Primary School, I really loved athletics and I wanted to compete. Most of the short race events, which I was a huge admirer of were always clogged with competitors. Everyone wanted to do the 100m. When I looked around, no one really wanted to do the hurdles and that is where the interest stemmed from.
I tried and I liked it and I went all the way to the national championships. I continued with it in High School and I once again went all the way to the nations. So I just took a chance on it and decided that would be my competition.
NEWS
Show more news- The year 2017 was somehow a breakthrough for you, making the Kenyan team for the World Under-18 Championships that was hosted in Nairobi. How much of an influence was this for you to take on the sport?
- This was where it dawned on me that I could actually make this my full fledged career. Getting to compete in a global event was huge for a small school girl for me. Of course I didn’t go all the way as I only exited in the heats, but for me, it was the experience above everything. I competed with girls from well advanced countries and the margin of loss was small. It was the catalyst I needed to push me to try and compete more and work harder.
Looking back, I can say it offered me a brilliant platform. At the moment, I look back at some of the girls who I competed against and seeing the blaze it up in the senior category gives me hope and confidence that I am on the right path. Britany Anderson who won the final competed at the World Championships and won silver, Samba Mayela from France won silver at the Olympics and so I believe I am in the right path.

- And now with all that in mind, what are your short term and long term goals, seeing that 2025 is a World Championship year?
- Last year, 2024 was really pivotal for me. I did two Africa senior competitions and reached the final in both and was sixth, with minimal facilities and support. This year, my goals are definitely bigger. I want to try and attain the qualification time for the World Championships for starters.
That has been my biggest goal for a while. I tried for the last World Champs in Hungary but wasn’t successful. At the moment I am running 13s high and my target is to dip under 13 for the first time. With how I have started the season and the progress I am making, this is a possibility.
In the long term, my target is to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2028. I have three years to put in the work and I trust in myself, I know that it is achievable.
- The next Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, more or less ‘home’ for you as you are currently in the US. Does this offer an extra incentive?
- Definitely 100 percent yes. That plays out at the back of my head every time because I would want to compete here at the biggest stage.
My dream is to become the first East African girl to compete in the hurdles at a global event; that is this year’s World Championships as well as the Olympics in 2028.

- Finally, what do you think of the evolution of sprints in Kenya?
- Over the last few years, Ferdi (Ferdinand Omanyala) has really put us up there in the map but I believe there is so much talent in the country. There are so many great sprinters around but we are handicapped in terms of facilities and expertise. If we get to improve on this, I believe Kenya can be a powerhouse in sprints not just on the continent but in the world.
We also need meet organizers back home to incentify sprints more. Sometimes you find the monetary rewards for winning sprints as compared to other events like cross country are worlds apart. You spend so much to prepare for a race, but end up winning so little. If this can be improved, then we will see more people coming up and taking the sport.


