Oroma not scared of first cut at Para-Games

Joyce Abalo will never be able to watch her daughter, Peace Oroma, do her thing on the track. Abalo, 49, is blind. Her husband, 57-year old Francis Nyeko, is a peasant farmer in the northern Uganda district of Gulu with no television set of his own.

However, when Oroma makes her bow at the National Stadium here in Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, she is hoping to make them proud, along with millions of Ugandans.  “When I was young, my mum was normal,” Oroma, herself visually impaired, starts. “I don’t know how she became blind. I remember, she left me with my dad and when I met her again in 2012, she was blind.” 

Meeting Cheptegei
That’s a fair reflection of an athlete who has beaten all the odds to make it to the grandeur of stages and habours a dream of meeting Uganda’s long distance star Joshua Cheptegei. “They (parents) know that I am an athlete but they were surprised. My father first heard my name on radio while in the town in Gulu. One day, he told me: ‘I heard about you while in town.’    “You know, when you see me physically, you don’t expect anything,” Oroma says of her miniature frame after a workout with coach James Ssenkungu outside the Games Village here in Tokyo. 

These Games, the Paralympics, have so many unique stories for athletes who are just happy to get a chance to live a normal life. Oroma’s is just one of those. 

Competition days 
Currently unranked, the Makerere University student will compete in the women’s 100m T13 and 400m T13. The first is next Tuesday while the second is a week from today. 

Being here is in itself a huge success for a girl who has never had a normal life. “When I was still young, like seven years, everyone started to realise that I couldn’t see what was on the blackboard  “So my entire life, I have not been writing, I just listen. I wait for notes and copy. When I reached Primary Seven, it (visual impairment) kept increasing up to now,” she narrates. 

Damaged Cornea 
Oroma suffers from Keratoconus, an eye disease that affects the structure of the cornea, resulting in loss of vision. According to John Hopkins University, it occurs in approximately one in 2,000 individuals, typically beginning in puberty and progressing into the mid-30s.

“Early stages can be treated with glasses, but with progression of the disease into late childhood and early adulthood, corneal transplantation may be needed to restore sight. There is no known prevention for keratoconus,” the medical journal states.  

Oroma is now 25 but was only properly diagnosed in 2016. At Makerere where she is studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Meteorology, she is paired with the brightest student to guide her as lecturers have never had to deal with someone like her.  

“In sports, the biggest challenge is finance. In school, what helped is that I am a government student under the disability scheme. Without it, I wouldn’t do much. 

Proud as ever 
However, once the gun shot reverberates through the air next Tuesday, she will go after her new goals. “I am very happy and proud to make it this far.  

“I can say it’s hard work. I have been working hard with my coaches, support from my friends and fellow athletes. All have inspired me a lot,” Oroma says. “I am not scared of anything now.” 

While she quotes her times throughout, one she claims the first the media has accorded her, they are not verifiable and her Paralympic offers a chance to change that. 

This will only be her third international event after competing in Morocco (March, 2020) and Tunisia (March, 2021) . 

BRIEFLY 

Full Name: Peace Oroma 
Born: June 6, 1996)  Age: 25
Birthplace: Gulu Profession: Student 
Institution: Makerere University 
Course: 
Bachelor of Science in Meteorology 
Sports: Para-athlete (visually impaired) 
Discipline: Sprinting (100m T13 and 400m T13)
Coach: Jameson Ssenkungu