Tony Mbala
With a degree in electrical engineering, Jeffrey Onyango was set up for success. Given the general perception that engineers are well compensated for their work, his friends and family were enthusiastic about his chance for economic prosperity.
Unbeknownst to them, Onyango was least interested in following that particular route. He wanted to work toward a more exciting goal. It’s a career as a fitness trainer.
Onyango switched his focus from creating electrical equipment to molding the human body with the precision he needed. This discovery filled him with hope and excitement for a bright future filled with contentment and happiness.
When he told his friends and family about his decision to become a fitness trainer, he was surprised by the cold reception he received.
They thought he had lost his mind. They were surprised that Onyango made the decision considering the time he spent at Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology shaping his future as an electrical engineer.
His family and friends opposed his decision to focus solely on sports, believing that he would be better off pursuing engineering. “My friends and family were like, you’re an engineer, what are you doing with your fitness? Why are you working so hard?” he said, quoting one of his cousins.
sports history
Undeterred by the negative reactions and the many snubs that threw cold water on his aspirations, Onyango took a bold step to realize his dreams through sports performance.
“I thought I had a passion for this.” He has never regretted his decision. Onyango steadily developed himself as a fitness trainer and his business gained significant traction.
He rubs shoulders with some of the world’s greatest athletes today, such as Winfred Yabi, a 21-year-old Bahraini athlete from Kenya who won gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics and set a new Olympic record in the 3000m steeplechase. They are lined up.
His impressive client roster also includes three-time Olympic gold medalist and multiple world champion in the women’s 1500 meters, Faith Kipyegon.
Born on October 5, 1981, Onyango attended Park Road Primary School before completing the Kenyan Primary Education Certificate Examination and joining Nyabondo High School. “I wasn’t really interested in sports until I went to Nyabondo, where I played soccer for the school team,” he said.
“I was commonly known as Kobore, a nickname given to me by my friends at school because I left my mark on the defense as a centre-back.In Form 3 I wore number 4; then in Form 4 I changed my position to number 5. At this point, Jeffrey became passionate about sports and tried his hand at different disciplines.
“That’s when I realized that I was good at sports. I actively participated in football and sprinting, 400 meters. I was the champion of Nyanza for two years in the 400 meters, and then came third in the national competition. ” he said.
Inspired by his excellent performances on the field and track, Onyango continued his athletic endeavors at Jomo Kenyatta University where he successfully passed the Kenya Secondary Education Certificate Examination and secured admission.
“After my KCSE results, I was accepted into university a year later. Once I got there, I was made captain of the football team in my first year.”
He successfully balanced his studies and sports. “I majored in industrial instrumentation and wireless communications, and after completing my electronics course, I did many internships in various companies and NGOs.”
He was so proficient in electrical engineering that he dared to criticize the instructor during class. “My father is an electrical engineer and he taught me a lot of things, including the technical terms used in the field. I used to get irritated when the instructor mispronounced words,” Onyango said.
“They thought I was rude and disrespectful because I didn’t think twice about making corrections. Lecturers don’t like being criticized in public.”
start fitness
Friends and colleagues who are engineers sparked Onyango’s interest in the sport. “I had a friend who worked in refrigeration and air conditioning.
He became interested in sports fitness and moved to the United States. So when he came back and we were sharing notes, he sat down and we were sharing notes during the December break. ” he said. “I was interested in his books. Well, I was just interested in strength and conditioning. It wasn’t until he came back and gave me some books that I realized that weightlifting and bodybuilding were scientific. I didn’t know that,” he added.
During the Christmas break, Onyango went to the gym with a friend, where they did weight training while studying books to understand the science.
“That’s what inspired me. I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the book that gave me the link. And that’s how I got interested in fitness. ” he said.
He was engrossed in his newfound love and did his best to increase his knowledge. “I used to train a lot in the gym and work in the gym, which was very surprising. Gradually I became passionate about sports performance. So I learned about sports performance, strength, “I studied conditioning,” he said.
“I am a certified coach for World Athletics and also a strength and conditioning coach for World Rugby, currently at level 1 and then level 2. My main work is sports performance, strength and conditioning.”
Eventually, he was hired by Kamau Kiruri, a journalist who owned Image Gym in Westlands. Kiruri also worked as an editor at Citizen, where he edited the Reader magazine.
“Kamau expressed his admiration. He was a custodian at Braeburn School. He once said, ‘Brother, I can’t afford you.’ We are trying to find out,” Onyango said.
“But before that I was employed by Gymkana Sports Club where I dealt with cricketers and local people. Kamau came back and took me to Braeburn School.”
It turns out that joining Braeburn gave him more options and blessings. “After just one year at Braeburn, I became interested in rugby. Braeburn’s assistant coach and sports teacher, Felix Ochieng, was providing training facilities for the Kenya Sevens.” he said.
“Felix approached me and asked if I could help them with strength and conditioning, and that was in 2009-2010. I think that was the beginning of my conditioning.” And I think that’s where I’m at now. Education took things even further. ”
successful career
Onyango’s career curve as a fitness professional shows a positive trend. No wonder he was hired by the Kenya National Olympic Committee.
“I am a strength and conditioning consultant and coach for Trail Blazers Volleyball Club and Mwamba RFU,” he said.
“I have also been working with Nok since April this year when we became obsessed with forming Team Kenya for the Paris 2024 Games. I am working with the Lionesses of the Kenyan women’s rugby team.”
He played a big role in Winfred Yabi’s amazing performance, in which she added the Olympic title to the world championships and broke the Rome Diamond League record for the women’s 3000 meters steeplechase.
“I have been working with Yavi, a steeplechase girl, for three years. When she came to see me, she was suffering from a chronic hamstring injury. Knock’s renowned physiotherapist , Kari Akim introduced her to me,” he said.
Additionally, he has worked closely with Faith Chelotich, William Kimanyar, Faith Kipyegon and many other Kenyan athletes during Team Paris’ track and field camps. Since 2019, he has also collaborated with Helen Obiri.
Additionally, Onyango continues to encounter some of Kenya’s best athletes. Humphrey Hayange, Rabin Asego and Collins Injera are also people he has worked with. Onyango says Kenyans need to engage in rigorous fitness training to improve their performance.
“Strength and conditioning is a growing area in Kenya. Most teams haven’t accepted it, many coaches and team managers don’t understand it. They still think of strength and conditioning as just bodybuilding. “There is,” he said.
“They don’t understand that strength and conditioning is functional, movement training. Sports help individuals and teams develop speed, power, strength, endurance, and coordination. It’s movement training.”
Onyango says Kenya needs to change the way it looks at strength and conditioning to reap the full potential of the sport. “Strength and conditioning coaches assist team managers, athletes and coaches with recovery protocols, injury prevention, prehab and rehabilitation,” he said.
He dismissed as a myth the idea that strength and conditioning is stunting and should not be introduced to young children.
“In my opinion, genetics, body composition and pedigree are the main determinants of growth. Strength and conditioning will never limit growth or height or anything like that. That’s an African myth,” he said. said.
“Maybe we should dig a little deeper and understand conditioning and strength. Even the best athletes in the world in their senior years don’t do any weightlifting, only do isometrics, conditioning exercises, and functional training in the gym. People tend to forget that you can spend a whole week just doing that.
Strength and conditioning involves a lot of things. Examples include running, aerobics, the phosphagen system, and lactic acid.
Onyango has always taken great inspiration from the world’s most successful fitness experts. “I have a lot of role models in strength and conditioning, especially in the United States,” he said. “There’s a guy called Phil Davis, he’s a world-class rugby strength and conditioning consultant and he’s from Ireland.
There’s also New Zealander Richard Smith. He is a very skilled strength and conditioning coach. ” Additionally, Onyango has learned some important lessons from his Kenyan colleagues with whom he works closely.
“I think we are a small group here in Kenya. Geoffrey Kimani, a top fitness and sprint coach, is in charge of Yara Oman,” he said. “We have Mike Shamir, who took charge of KCB three weeks ago, and Malik Ndemi, a rugby educator with Kenya Rugby Union. Richard Uchen is based at Cabras Sugar.”
