Some of the shoes that were donated.
I witnessed what an expectant father looked like in 2010. He was pacing the maternity ward corridors. He often would pose and hold his waist. Once in a while, he would stare at the ceiling. Every time any door creaked, he would turn swiftly to the direction of the room in which his wife was in. If our ears could straighten up like the dogs when they sense a slight sound, this gentleman's ears could have touched the ceiling that early evening. I always imagine how he felt once the midwife called him into the ward.
Last Friday, I was taken back to the scenario of the maternity ward corridors. I stared at myself in the mirror. I wore a white collared shirt branded "Big Foot Athletes" on the left breast and "Small girl, BIG GOD" on the left arm. I was very anxious and nervous about what Saturday could bring forth. Looked like imposter syndrome was getting the best of me. I had so many questions.
Would the day turn out as I envisioned it?
Would the kids love what we have to offer?
Would the people I invited to join me in the cause have the same passion I had?
The bathroom space could not allow me to pace around physically, but my mind sprinted across all corners of the world, seeking answers. I was no different from the expectant father. The human mind is really a playground. I cast different scenarios of all things gone wrong. These days, the weather in Kira is as unpredictable as the moods of a pregnant mother. One minute, we are getting sunroasted, and the next minute, we are squeezing water out of our clothes. I prayed for the hottest sun possible on Saturday. My mind raced to our human shortcomings. I imagined waking up to texts.
"Hi, Nagudi, unfortunately, I cannot make it. Kira is far, and the roads are death harrows."
This fear I shared with a friend. She said, "Liz, if this is meant to be seamless, whether with just you, it will be!"
I had a list of worries, but I remembered that they could not get any longer than the 365 "Do not be afraid" in the Bible.
Once the fun started, it could not stop. Look closely at the shoes and the workout attire.
Confident as I looked in the organization shirt, I made my way to the Den, home of the JT Jaguars. Soon, team members trickled in through the gates, one by one. A bit of relief came over me. After a debrief, we were ready to preach the gospel of basketball to the academy kids.
Weird that once I set foot on the court, all the fears vanished. It was the moment that I had longed for. I have been on the receiving end as an athlete, and I still am on that end, so I can imagine the academy kids' expectations for us. The day was offered to the Almighty, and the music was let loose. Soon, the worries all now looked like an attempted mockery of our actions. What we thought would be an hour's session was pushed to three hours. It was all about the sweat, smiles, growth, fun, and competition. The floodgates of heaven agreed to let us have a great morning. The tarmac can testify to the sounds of bouncing balls and our traces.
Like the name suggests, Big Foot Athletes, I could not help but look at the feet of the academy kids. So many memories were unlocked. A story that I have told over and over and will never cease to tell. On the days I would appear smartly dressed on the court, not until someone closely looked at my feet. Our tarmacked courts eat away the soles, and soon, the upper surface of our shoes looks like a brand-new Jordan, yet underneath, we are stepping directly on the ground. I recalled the days I would wash my socks, and if a friend found them drying on the lawn, they would ask, "Do you have rats in your room?" (The rat was my foot) The best I would do is cut papers and align them in the shoe. When the rains came through, every step I made, I left a trace of the papers instead of my footprint!
When I received my first pair of boxed shoes in 2023, it felt odd that I could wear a good pair of shoes for once. The memory plays over and over. It was a gray KD16 with a green sole. Soon, I received more pairs of shoes, and the most exciting shoe was a Gainnis Immortality, which I received as a Christmas present. My shoe rack overflowed with three pairs of shoes I barely touched. I wondered why I should hold onto something I am not using yet someone out there can make the best use of it. I remembered my mission; "To support young athletes in Uganda with sports shoes." It aligned perfectly with the Bible verse Luke 12:48, "…When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required."
Doesn't it warm your heart as well?
I shared my mission with a few people, and interestingly, I got eight pairs of shoes from my teammates.
There is a picture that was taken driving the outreach, which warms my heart every time I look at it. Deborah, one of the vibrant girls during the outreach, had shoes that were no different from my paper-filled shoes. When I called her to receive a pair of shoes, she hugged me and rested her shoulder on me. It will forever be a priceless moment. As if God was mocking my worries, not everyone invited turned up, but the few who turned up made the day worth it. Furthermore, they understood the assignment and brought shoes that had been gathering dust on their shoe racks to donate. It went beyond the shoes; some girls working out in jean skirts received complete workout kits from members of the Big Foot Athletes team.
Seeing my baby "Big Foot Athletes" come to reality alongside other babysitters was a joy.
I cannot wait to see how many more smiles I will witness throughout my lifetime mission. It is on these grounds that I invite you to join me in this mission of supporting young African talent. Your donation will mean a lot, not to me, not to BigFoot Athletes Organization, but to that young child who will play confidently in a nice pair of shoes and a comfortable outfit.
Who knows? We could be clothing the next Cheptegei (wink). Let's bring more smiles together. It is a lifetime mission; you can always donate anytime. Today, tomorrow, next week, next year, or next decade! There are always dreams to be supported.
Elizabeth Kisolo Nagudi, Kevin Solomon Moru, Lucius Onyango, and Malual Dier
Special thanks to Nakyanzi Patricia, Malual Dier (Jimma), Kevin Solomon Moru, Lucius Onyango, Nabusiita Ruth Kisolo, and Josephine Kyosiimire for coming through for the first Big Foot Athletes outreach activity.
Small girl, Big God.
Twitter: Big Foot Athletes
Contact person: Elizabeth Kisolo Nagudi (+1 (314) 350‑9780 WhatsApp)
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