Amon Wamalwa’s emotional rugby comeback after life‑threatening heart condition
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Reading Time: 5min | Wed. 26.11.25. | 12:22
It now feels almost unbelievable that the same boy electrifying the Kenyan rugby scene once lay in a hospital bed, wondering if he would ever run again, let alone represent his country
“We are sorry, but you cannot play tomorrow.” Those were the words that pierced through Amon Wamalwa’s heart on Friday, 25 June 2021, hours after being named Kenya Chipu’s starting fly-half for the opening match of the Barthes U20 Trophy.
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A moment that was supposed to mark the beginning of his national rugby journey instead became the day everything unravelled.
“We have found you with a heart abnormality. You cannot play the game tomorrow. And if you want to play rugby again, you will have to undergo a surgical procedure,” the cardiologist told Wamalwa.
The youngster still remembers that moment like it was yesterday.
It now feels almost unbelievable that the same boy electrifying the Kenyan rugby scene once lay in a hospital bed, wondering if he would ever run again, let alone represent his country.
Dreams crushed overnight
Back in 2021, Wamalwa’s persistence was finally paying off. After painful disappointments in 2018 and 2019, missing out on the Chipu final squad and then being benched throughout the tournament, 2021 looked like destiny.
The Barthes Trophy had returned after a pandemic hiatus, only three teams competing: Kenya, Senegal and Madagascar. Head coach Curtis Olago placed his faith in the versatile youngster, naming him as the starting fly-half. Wamalwa was buzzing.
Then, during a routine ECG test on the eve of the tournament, calamity struck.
“I was the first to go in, and I failed the test. The cardiologist told me I could not play because there was an abnormality in my heart and I needed surgery urgently,” he told Mozzart Sport.
The test was repeated twice, and he failed on both occasions.
“The moment I failed the test the third time, I knew it was over. I cried almost the whole night… I felt like I would never play the game I love again,” he offered.
Doctors warned him that any physical exertion could make him collapse. The rising star suddenly faced the unthinkable: no rugby, no future, no identity.
Surgery and fear
Wamalwa underwent a cardiac procedure that involved inserting catheters through both groins into his heart.
“They drilled holes in both groins and inserted wires all the way to the heart. During the three-week recovery, I was scared to even run. I kept thinking something bad would happen,” he offered.
The physical pain was intense, but the emotional toll was devastating.
“My life felt over. My heart felt like pieces of shattered glass. Even school felt gone,” he painfully recalled.
His confidence evaporated, and he stopped training. He watched rugby from afar, haunted by the thought that his last game might already be behind him.
Rising again
But what kept him going?
His dreams. His mother’s unwavering belief. And the reality of how much his family had invested in his treatment.
“I had a mission and a vision. And honestly, the money we had already spent on treatment pushed me to keep fighting,” he recalled.
Slowly, he rebuilt himself. Then came the moment that changed everything, not just for him, but for the country.
From heartbreak to national hero
When Wamalwa earned his debut for the national men’s rugby sevens team, Shujaa, many still feared for him. Even he did.
“I will not lie, I was afraid. I thought I might collapse. I even called the doctor to ask if he was sure I would be okay,” he revealed.
But once he stepped onto the pitch, something clicked. On his debut, Kenya were struggling, their Rugby World Cup qualification hopes hanging by a thread. The team looked shaky, confidence low, pressure immense.
Then Wamalwa announced himself to the world. He scored two out of the three crucial tries that secured Kenya’s qualification for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa.
Just months after fearing he would never play again, he became the country’s hero, from the lowest point of his life to sending Shujaa to the biggest sevens stage in the world.
“From zero to hero… yes, it felt like validation for everything I had overcome,” he said.
A new chapter with Strathmore Leos
He later left Homeboyz to join Kenya Harlequin. At Quins, he was part of the team that defied the odds to win the 2024 National Sevens Circuit, their first in 12 years.
Last month, he left Quins to join Strathmore Leos.
“Coach Willis Ojal did not just want me to play rugby. He wanted me to succeed in life. That touched me,” Wamalwa explained on his move to Strathmore.
The move offered education, structure, mentorship, and purpose.
With support from people like Faith Basiye and close friends, including Arnold Onzere, Jan Remke, Leon Nyang, and his girlfriend Mwambi, the transition became a dream fulfilled.
“I wanted a happy environment, and Strathmore is where I felt at home,” he offered.
At Leos, he hopes to provide playmaking brilliance, leadership, and trophies.
A changed man
The heart scare reshaped his outlook completely.
“I learned to be kind to myself and to others. To enjoy every opportunity because tomorrow is not promised,” he offered.
He now lives with gratitude and intention.
“A second chance means everything to me. Improving every day, trusting God, trusting His plan, and never giving up,” he averred.
His message to athletes
From lying in a hospital bed fearing death to becoming a national sensation on debut, Wamalwa’s story is one of the most emotional comebacks in Kenyan rugby.
His message is simple but powerful.
“Do not give up. Keep showing up. Keep believing in yourself. At the end of the tunnel, there is always light,” he concluded.
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