Kenya Sevens Legend, Dennis Ombachi, has recently come out to talk about his remarkable story of how he manages his Bi-Polar Disorder whilst pursuing his love of rugby.
Ombachi is mostly remembered for his explosive run to score a last-minute try to help Kenya 7s beat Zimbabwe 21-17 and qualify for the Olympics in Rio.
Dennis Ombachi, through an interview with the World Rugby press, highlighted his journey from a child to his current status as a father of two.
Ombachi stated that his early childhood life was largely spent on the tea plantation bushes as his father was a tea plantation manager.
“My dad was a tea plantation manager, so my childhood mostly was spent running around those bushes. You wake up and elephants are roaming on the front door.
“Our house had no electricity or even running water. My mum used to send me to fetch water at the river which was quite a distance away. Going to fetch was downhill but coming back was uphill.
“So, my childhood I can say made me humble, it made me resilient cause it was actually a tough childhood,” Ombachi stated.
The Kenyan legend noted that while he was a teenager, he joined boarding school where he experienced a lot of bullying which resulted in him running away from school and eventually changing schools.
“I changed schools and therefore joined Kiambu High school and the principal then knew where I came from and the situation that I was in at my former school and advised me to join rugby.
“As soon as I joined the team, I realised that this sport is actually for me,” he noted.
Ombachi was keen to point out how his professional rugby career started, attributing it to one of the greatest rugby players in the country, Humphrey Kayange.
“When I started, Humphrey provided for my transport for over a year, the gym and my first training kit,” Ombachi pointed out.
Ombachi also attributed his success to former Kenya 7s coach, Mark Friday, noting that the coach understood him and therefore gave him confidence which was a launching pad to his career.
Ombachi suffered a blow to his career at the 2016 Olympics after breaking both his leg and uncle at a point where he was at his peak, putting him out of the pitch for about six months.
He pointed out that in his road to recovery, he was anticipating the Rugby World Cup but deep down he had lost confidence and doubted himself.
“So I decided I really don't want to go to this tournament and also at the same time I don’t want to disappoint my coaches.
“I approached the coach and told him that I really don’t want to go on this tour, explained what I was going through and he was actually very understanding, advising me to go back home and try to look for help,” he continued.
Ombachi highlighted that it was during that period when he attempted suicide but luckily enough was leaving with his sister who managed to call for help and took him to hospital.
“That was the first time I was admitted to a psychiatric facility which took four weeks, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that was the beginning of my self discovery journey.”
Ombachi also revealed that his biggest fear at the moment as a father is just being able to support his kids and securing their future.
However, Ombachi found something to engage in aside from rugby, where he cooks and shares his meals on social media.
“I am really glad that I sort of discovered social media which is actually a means of earning money from the brand which I have built for years.
“Through social media I found a means of transitioning from being fully dependent on rugby and being able to earn my own income.
“I have been through it. I have managed to come out on the other side and I would really love to see other people come out and see the light on the other side,” he stated.