She sprinted out of obscurity and stormed onto the world stage—Esther Mbagari is not just chasing dreams. She’s catching them.
It’s a crisp Tuesday morning in Nairobi. My watch reads 7:45 AM as I step onto the legendary Nairobi West Prison grounds—sacred turf where the footprints of champions like Elizabeth Muthoka, Florence Wasike, Wellington Nyakundi, and Stephen Baraza still echo. Even the great Catherine Ndereba once thundered down this track.
The air hums with intensity. Shot putters grunt through warmups, and a new group of sprinters strides in from the northeast gate. Among them walks Esther Mbagari—tall, composed, unmistakably focused. She waves as she approaches, ready to tell the story of how a barefoot village girl from Ivakale, Kakamega County, rose to earn her spot at the World Athletics Relays in China.
Just days earlier, on April 12, 2025, I watched Esther grit through her 400m heat, finishing fourth in 52.89 seconds—and punching her ticket to the global stage. “After the race, I felt like my whole body was on fire,” she told me, still breathless from the effort. “The lactic was hitting me hard—but I knew I’d made it.”
Humble Beginnings, Fierce Dreams
Born in Kabili village in a large, sport-loving polygamous family, Esther was the only one drawn to athletics. Her first ‘training’ was trying to keep pace with her father’s long strides as they walked Kisumu’s streets—he worked at a nearby cigarette factory. “To keep up, I had to jog,” she says, laughing. “That became my rhythm.”
She began school at Harrier Academy in Kisumu, but when both her parents lost their jobs, the family relocated to Ivakale. It was there, at Ivakale Primary School in 2014, that fate intervened. During a school sports day, Esther impulsively entered the 100m race—in a school uniform and barefoot. She blazed past the field and won. That moment lit the fire.
“I suddenly felt like I was made to run,” she recalls. “I even begged my mum to send me on more errands just so I could run to the market.”
The Grind Begins
At Ivakale Secondary School, Coach Alex Bonzelec saw potential. He introduced structure—hill runs, long runs, warmups, cooldowns. “He even followed me on a motorbike during long runs,” she giggles. “That’s how serious he was.”
Her breakthrough came at regional championships held at Mukumu Boys and Nyang’ori High, where she famously outran boys. “I just wanted to win something to help my mum.”
Then came Uganda—the East Africa Secondary School Games—her first international competition. Still barefoot and facing seasoned sprinters in spikes, she placed fifth in the 100m. But she returned home hungrier than ever.
From Farming Fields to National Tracks
After high school, Esther’s running paused. She turned to farming while living with her aunt—until a call from her cousin, Abel Mwazi, reignited the flame. “He asked if I was still running. I lied and said yes,” she laughs. That lie led her to Nairobi.
There, Kenya Prisons athlete Maureen introduced her to Lang’ata West Prison’s training ground. The beginning was brutal. “I saw these strong athletes in elite kits—I was terrified and sore for days.” But Coach Stephen Mwaniki saw beyond the struggle. “Don’t quit,” he told her. “Even champions start from zero.”
Her first year—2020—was full of defeats. But she never gave up.
In 2021, she debuted nationally. In her first race, she stood beside sprint titans like Maximilla Imali—and finished last. “But I made myself a promise: I’ll be back. Stronger.”
Soon she was training under Coach Stephen Baraza (“Chicco”), who introduced gym work. “I didn’t get why a sprinter needed weights—but I obeyed. No questions.”
Breakout and Back-to-Back Gold
2022 brought her first national finals, but she kept finishing fourth. “One day I told Coach: I’m done with 4th—I need a medal now!”
2023 was her breakout year. At the AK Track and Field Meet in Kisumu, she stunned the crowd—third in 200m, fourth in 100m. Then came the National Championships at Nyayo Stadium. She faced Kenya’s best—Doreen Waka, Eunice Kadogo, Maximilla Imali, Lavenda Amutavi.
Esther silenced the field, winning the 100m in 11.68 seconds. Moments later, despite fatigue and murmurs from doubters, she returned for the 200m—overtaking Damaris Mutunga on the bend to win a historic double.
Now a national champion in both sprints, her story was unstoppable.
She represented Kenya at the African Championships in Ghana and Cameroon. Overlooked for the 100m semis at first, a last-minute correction let her run—but it wasn’t her best. Redemption came in the 4x400m relay. Borrowing shoes from Head Coach Julius Kirwa and spikes from David Tauta, she blazed through her leg in 52.05 seconds, helping Kenya secure bronze.
The Next Chapter: 400m Warrior
In 2025, Esther made a bold switch: full-time 400m. “The sprints were amazing—but I crave the challenge of the quarter mile.” Under Coach Musembi, she’s pushing her limits.
Her goal? To lead Kenyan women’s relays to global consistency. “We have the talent. We just need unity and belief.”
The Heart Behind the Hustle
Esther credits the Kenya Prisons Service for giving her a second family. When not training, she enjoys gospel music, home-cooked chicken, and ugali.
Her message to young athletes?
“Train hard. Stay humble. Trust God. Celebrate each other. Running is not war—it’s a journey. And you can’t run it alone.”
From barefoot races in rural Kakamega to the roaring lanes of international stadiums, Esther Mbagari is proof that the fiercest champions rise from the most unlikely places