ICY Taekwondo Club’s rising star Stacy Dock has fought her way from the low-end parts of Kisumu to the brink of global competition.
Stacy, the Kenya Under-21 taekwondo captain, began her career in her early years, inspired by her father, who had just retired from the sport and moved into coaching.
Now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management at Kenyatta University, she remains driven by the desire to surpass his legacy.
“I grew up watching my father train hard and win medals. His passion ignited my curiosity and, over time, turned into a dream. After he retired from professional competition, I made a promise to myself – to kick higher and do more than he did,” said Stacy.
Under her father’s guidance, her skills sharpened steadily. Her career began to blossom in 2022 when she was selected for the NOC-K youth camp, followed by a 2023 nomination that saw her honoured as the female athlete representative.
“These camps exposed me to new perspectives and experiences that shaped my approach to the sport,” she said.
Her determination paid off this year when she made a breakthrough in professional competition, winning a gold medal on her debut.
“2025 has been my most successful year. I proudly represented Kenya in the 2025 Korean Ambassador’s Cup both in Rwanda and Uganda and I won gold,” Stacy noted.
She now turns her focus to the World Taekwondo U21 Championship scheduled for December 3–6 at Moi Kasarani, Nairobi. Her confidence stems from her strong performance at the World University Taekwondo Games, where she reached the quarter-finals.
Stacy believes those experiences have helped her identify areas for improvement and strengthened her preparation ahead of the championship, which will act as qualifiers for the Los Angeles event.
“Now I’m preparing for the World U21 Championship – driven by purpose, passion and the dream to reach Olympic heights. Having elite coaches from Cote d’Ivoire in our training camp makes everything better; expect wins – expect medals as the road to Los Angeles begins,” she said.
by JOSEPH MUSYOKI
