By: Francis Ndichu
The soil of Siaya is known of producing legends in a quite long time for example the likes of great Scholar Prof Magoha. Conjestina Achieng was lucky to be among them and many have been thrilled by her mighty deeds as a Female boxer who was nicknamed as “Hands of stone”
Conjestina Achieng was among the children that were raised in Kenya founding father era in 20th October 1977 in Umiru village, Yala Division, Siaya County.
The 46 yrs old was raised by her father, a former retired medical officer, Mzee Clement Adalo and her mother Gertrude Auma who were two great pillars in Conjestina’s sporting life. She was the fifth born of this old couple in a family of 10 siblings.She is also mother to a son named Charltone Otieno.
Conjestina’s elder brother, Joseph Kusimba a former boxer who runs a boxing club in Mathare,Nairobi could be the who motivated her to join the boxing community.
Conjestina has greatly achieved in the female boxing arena after she was the first woman boxer in Africa to hold an International title and WIBF middleweight in International Boxing Federation (IBF) after she managed to defeat Ugandan Fiona Tugume.
She has also being in the list of 5 top ranked female boxers in the world. They are various medals that Conjestina holds in boxing that she has participated.She holds 8KO’S, 17 WINS in a total of 27 fights.
Her heroic spirit in boxing has greatly served as a motivation to women who desire to be boxers.Even to her son Charltone Otieno who desire to be a professional boxer in days to come. But this dream seemed to come to a halt in 2011 when Conjestina was announced in sports news in various media platforms that she has been suspended as a result of a diagnosis of health and mental illness status,Scheroaffective disorder.
With the help of former Nairobi, Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko she was admitted to a rehabilitation center in Mombasa Women Empowerment Network Hospital, Miritini Hospital after her son, Charltone Otieno appealed for her support to the Governor.
After few stages of recovery she came to limelight to loosen the hot handles of rumours in social media after she was allegedly accused to have succumbed to the illness.She furiously condemned the case by some fellows spreading the gossip and former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko back up her and warned the fellas that accused the government of negleting it champions.
In the 59th Mashujaa Day, Governor Sonko twitted her as his Shujaa as she raised the Kenyan flag in World Boxing competition and brought victory to Kenya. Indeed this was a great step taken by politician to celebrate legends in arts industry instead of celebrating them when they are dead.
But medics confirmed she may be able to go back into the rings soon but they have decided to go slow on the healing. They decided not to combine healing medicine and her training as this is not a medical partake for quick recovery. Conjestina also appealed to sponsor to chip in themselves again in her art like the governor as this show the great support to boxers.
We celebrate this great heroine for her mighty kickouts and blows she had thrown in the process of holding the title of best female boxer.
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