Kelvin Njihia Kairu 27M

Lately, I have realized that achievement does not always come from big goals or a long to-do list. For me, it's the small things. It's funny because my "achieved day" usually comes down to these simple things: taking a bath and brushing my teeth, making my bed and folding my clothes and finally, exercising. That's it, nothing fancy. But when I do these things, I feel like I have shown up for myself. Taking a bath isn't just about getting clean, It's a reset before the day begins. Making my bed and folding my clothes brings a sense of order in my own space while exercising makes me feel strong and proud ,and lifts my spirit a notch higher. Happiness And Positive Arrogance  Lately, I have been feeling genuinely happy- the kind that does not need a reason. I smile more, I worry less and a deeper sense of contentment. From that happiness, I have started feeling what I call  positive arrogance(Does it exist? I don't know. Felt like it was way to explain what I am feeling). Not everything needs my control.Not everything needs my fixing. It's funny how light life starts to feel when you stop fighting it so much. Inside The Box🧠 We are always told to think outside the box- to chase bigger, newer and bolder ideas. But one day, while talking with Andrew Muchiri, Global Fast Fit Media incharge, colleague and friend, something clicked for me. We were brainstorming ideas, trying to push for something unique, and suddenly I thought , maybe we are thinking too hard. Maybe we have not explored what is inside the box fully. Sometimes, we get so caught up trying to escape our current space that we forget how much potential already lives within it. Maybe the goal isn't always to think outside the box. Maybe it is to look deeper inside it- to notice what is already there, refine it and grow it. As I sign out, I have learnt that maybe happiness is not something we chase but something we notice - hidden inside the box we have not fully explored.

The Nickname That Stuck I did not pick the name "Rookie"-the boys gave it to me. I was the first guy in my year to break into the main squad, and that made stand out. From then on, it stuck. Even when I'd be playing for seasons, I was still a "Rookie". At first it felt like a joke, but after a while, it became who I was. Rookie was not just a name, it was a story. Wearing Jersey 7 I donned jersey number 7-If you know rugby, you know what that means-pure chaos (Ask Dr James Muchiri, He also wore jersey 7 but for a different team way earlier).Flankers don't get the glory of tries or fancy kicks. We live in the breakdown, in the rucks and in the dirt. My job was simple: tackle, contest, slow the opponents down and make life  easier for my teammate. It was not pretty, but that's why i loved it. Tackler First, Ball Carrier Second I will be honest- I wasn't much of a ball carrier. If you wanted to smash through defenders, I wasn't your man. But tackling? That was my bread and butter. I made myself as the guy you would hit get up. clean and hard tackles was my contribution. My Debut: JKUAT Cougars I will never forget my first game for Wasps. It was against JKUAT Cougars, and man, my nerves were all over the place. But once the whistle went, instinct took over. It was a close one - We edged it 21-20 in their home turf. Walking off the field, sweaty and bruised, I felt I belonged there. Six Seasons In The Championship And One Varsity League I played a six full seasons in the championship and one varsity league. On paper, my record does not look like much: one try. Just one. But the real story is in the countless tackles and turnovers. That's what being a flanker is about- Dirty work nobody notices but everybody needs. The Toughest Rivals: MMUST Rugby If there is one team that owned us, it was MMUST. I never beat them- not once. They were physical, fast and just ruthless. Every game against them felt like going to war. Both home and away, it was the same old story. To this day, when I hear "MMUST", I just shake my head. The best results against them was 20-17 in their favour at the Wasps Nest  and the worst was 43-0 in their home ground. Those matches hurt, but they made me tougher Discipline And Control One thing I am proud of is never getting a yellow card. Not one sin bin in my whole career. For a guy who lived in the thick of tackles, that's no small thing. I always tried to stay disciplined. The One Try vs Kitale RFC That one try I scored came against Kitale RFC. I still remember it because it felt like all the years of sweat  had finally paid off in a moment of glory. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't long range- but it was mine. The Final Whistle: Mean Machines My last game was against Mean Machines. It was ugly, low scoring and physical-just the way rugby can be. We lost 5-3, and the results cut deep. Not just because of the clavicle injury that  I got when a mole collapsed on me and ended my 15s career, but because that meant Egerton Wasps were relegated to the nationwide league. It was so heartbreaking. Lessons From The Game Looking back, rugby game me everything. It toughened me up, taught me teamwork and showed me the value of discipline. I started as "Rookie", but that name became more than just a laugh. It was my journey-From the first nervous game to the last painful one, with all the hits , tackles, heartbreaks and memories in between.  Do I Still Enjoy Rugby? Yes i do. Rugby is addictive. I am a big fan of the mighty Springboks