Doris Atieno Nyangor

Doris is honored for her trailblazing role in pioneering sitting volleyball in Kenya, a sport that has since grown to inspire and empower many athletes with disabilities. Her leadership and dedication have been instrumental in putting Kenya on the map in the sport’s history. In 2009, serving as the captain of the national sitting volleyball team, Doris led her squad to an impressive victory during the Africa Sitting Volleyball Championship hosted in Nairobi. Under her captaincy, the team demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork, and resilience, securing the gold medal in front of a home crowd.

This historic win not only marked a major milestone for Kenyan sports but also earned the team qualification for the Sitting Volleyball World Cup in Oklahoma in 2010, a remarkable achievement for a relatively new team on the international scene. Doris’s influence extended beyond her on-court performance—she became a symbol of determination, breaking barriers for women and persons with disabilities in sports.

Her pioneering efforts have helped create more opportunities for athletes in adaptive sports and have inspired the younger generation to embrace their abilities and strive for excellence, making her a true champion both on and off the court.