Alexandra Ndolo, Kenya’s highest-ranked fencer and reigning African champion, has once again publicly called out the country’s sports governing bodies for neglecting athletes, saying she is exhausted from shielding a system that has failed her.

In a candid statement shared on her social media platforms late on Monday, May 19, 2025, the German-born fencer revealed the emotional and financial toll of having to self-fund her international competitions without support from the Kenyan Fencing Federation or government.

‘I’ve reached my limit’

“It’s time to be honest with myself and with the people around me. I have reached my limit. I hate to admit it, I hate asking for help, but I feel I can no longer lie, especially if those lies are protecting the system that should support me,” she wrote.

Ndolo added that despite being Kenya’s top-ranked fencer and achieving global recognition, including a silver medal at the 2022 World Fencing Championships, she has been left to train, travel, and compete without a coach or physiotherapist.

She said in the past nine months, all she has received from local sports authorities are empty words and promises. “While they are busy boasting about their new sport and new top-ten world ranking player, no one was able to put actions behind their words.”

A longstanding struggle

Her frustrations are not new. On May 21, 2023, she voiced similar concerns, saying, “I have organised and financed all of my fencing season. I have planned, booked, and paid for every single training camp and competition. I have travelled to many competitions without my coach and not once taken a physio with me. For a fencer of my calibre this is not just unusual; it is unheard of.”

Ndolo has also criticised the lack of accountability among sports federations in Kenya, calling the absence of oversight “a bad sign not just for me, but for Kenyan athletes in general.”

Still, she remains committed to the dream of building a fencing legacy in her late father’s homeland.

“I will continue to train and compete for Team Kenya and the African fencing system. I will attempt to qualify for the LA Olympics, not because I enjoy these additional battles, but because I set out on this path with a clear vision.”

Her call remains clear: “No more empty phrases. Action. Now.”