18-year-old Sheila Auma opens up on tough journey from Kibera slums to early stardom

"My coach tells me I am one of the luckiest boxers he has come across," young Sheila Auma says, reflecting on her meteoric rise from obscurity to being the youngest member in Kenya's national team - Hit Squad.

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Just a year ago, the 18-year-old was fighting the voice in her head to call time on a career that had only begun, but she can only look back now and thank herself and the community that held her hand during the downtimes.

Back in April 2024, Auma, one of three girls in a family of five, made her first pivot when she decided to pursue a career in boxing, walking away from her first love - football.

"I had just completed school and was literally looking for something to do," Auma recalls the events leading up to her first visit to Kibra Olympic - a local gym in her hometown.

"Growing up, I used to see so many boxing gyms, and I got to be in one for the first time when one of my friends - heavyweight boxer John Oyugi - invited me to his training session.”

After a couple of visits, she was sold.

"I just remember one day I went up to my dad, telling him that I wanted to do boxing," Auma says, laughing at her audacity. "He looked at me, confirmed my decision twice, and that was it."

Little did the all-excited youngster know that she was in for a long haul.

"I used to train so well, but was not getting fights," Auma says of her struggles to get opponents during the early phases of her career.

"It was easy at that time to give up, but my coaches - Hassan Salim and Patrick Safari - would not let me. They would take me to local fights, where I would just watch the boys, and take in what I could."

Thanks to the scarcity of women boxers in her gym, Auma had to lean on one name that was constantly thrown at her during her sessions.

"When I started training, there were no girls around. But every now and then, someone would mention to me a lady by the name Amina Martha, whom I longed to meet," Auma says, referring to Kenya's national bantamweight champion, who was at the time competing at the Africa Boxing Championships in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

Amina Martha ©NOC-K

"We finally got to meet immediately after she jetted back, and I was surprised by how humble and welcoming she was. At first, I feared her, but she gave me a hug and made me feel at home."

Auma believes that was the moment she landed a proper shot at becoming who she is now.

"It is as if my blood and her's connected," Auma said of Martha, who immediately took the initiative to show her the ropes of being a top boxer.

"She became sort of my mum. She was constantly tracking my progress in the gym and correcting me where I was going wrong. She taught me how to jab and be on my toes."

Coincidentally, Martha was at the scene of Auma's biggest win earlier this year, when she won the National Novices title at Green Park.

"I do not think she has missed any of my fights," Auma said of Martha. "She awarded me my first boxing certificate when I finished second at the regional novices in January, and has always been there to motivate me along the way."

Just to test the extent of their relationship, I asked Auma when they last spoke.

“Today,” she says. “I texted her telling her that my morning training was postponed, and she replied saying she would be back in time for us to train together in the evening."

"She is always there,” Auma adds.

Amina Martha hands Sheila Auma a winner's certificate ©Amina Martha/FB

A day that will live long in their memories was on the day before Auma’s Kenya Open Championships fight, when she needed to cut weight to avoid facing Martha in the bantamweight division, because she knew she would lose.

"Amish (Martha) called and asked me to get a sauna suit from her friend," Auma says, laughing. "She came over and took me through intense sessions, and my weight dropped to that of a flyweight (from 54 to 51kgs)."

As fate would have it, Auma ended up fighting once against experienced Ann Wanjiru - and pulled the upset to become the weight champion.

"She (Martha) has always meant the best for me," Auma says, crediting her mainly for guidance through her surprise national team debut last month.

Amina Martha prepares Sheila Auma before her fight ©Duncan Kuria

By virtue of winning the Kenya Open, Auma was presented with the massive chance of making Benjamin Musa’s squad for the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships in Nairobi, but had to wait for the call.

When the call finally came, the youngster had to make a tough decision.

“Days before the team was named, my grandmum passed away, and I made plans to travel to Busia for her burial,” Auma says. “As per the norm, I informed Martha and told her I would be back, just in case I was needed in camp.”

The call from her coach came on the day she was travelling with her cousins to the funeral, and she recalls her abrupt U-turn in Kisumu, where she alighted and boarded a night bus back to Nairobi, all in a bid to make it to the first day of non-residential training at Mathare Depot the following morning.

"There was little time to think, and I remember getting to camp so tired, but still gave a good show," Auma says. "I always dreamt of being in the national team. Even my late grandmum would understand why I made that decision."

Training with seasoned veterans in camp, she says, built her inner belief.

"I was the smallest out there," Auma says, accompanied by another laugh. "I was nicknamed 'kaminimum' because of my size, but I always had the courage to show that I belonged."

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Her small frame was the reason why many praised her for her brave showing against Ethiopia's Roman Asefa, despite losing on her international debut.

"Not many people expected me to last three rounds," Auma says of her narrow 3-2 defeat on the night of Monday, 20 October.

"The ring announcer - John Nene - kept mentioning my age during the fight, and I thought that gave my opponent belief. Knowing where I had come from, however, I decided to make it hard and saw out all the rounds.”

As expected, Martha was among the first ones to lift her disappointed chin up, terming the performance as "just another improvement."

Looking back, Auma thinks she should have thrown more punches, but is convinced another chance will come.

“The story of my career so far has been about faith and having the right people around me,” Auma says. “One of my dreams is ticked. I cannot wait to start winning some gold medals and make Kenyan history.”

After Martha won gold on Friday, 25 October, she wrapped it around Auma’s neck.

“The only regret I have is that I did not take a picture with it,” Auma says. “But I know I will get mine soon.”