Wairimu Nyathira does not approach sport only through the lens of performance or competition. Her work focuses on the systems that sit around sport — who is visible, who is protected, and who has access to opportunity.
Based in Kenya, Wairimu is a sports media and talent representation professional whose career spans global sporting events, athlete advocacy, and gender-responsive storytelling.
She has worked in demanding media environments including the WRC Safari Rally and continental football competitions such as CAF CHAN, experiences that sharpened her understanding of both the influence and responsibility of sports media.
Through Rafiki International (RI Sports), the company she leads, Wairimu works with athletes, sports professionals, and organisations to strengthen visibility, representation, and career pathways.
RI Sports focuses on ethical talent representation, media strategy, and brand development — supporting talent to navigate the sports industry with clarity, credibility, and long-term perspective.
Talent Representation with Care and Accountability
A defining feature of Wairimu Nyathira’s work is her approach to talent representation, particularly within football. Through RI Sports, she has worked closely with former professional footballer James Situma, securing him as a brand ambassador for the SKEIYA residential camp. Situma’s involvement brought technical credibility and mentorship to the program.
This work reflects her belief that representation and athlete programs must be built on trust, transparency, and informed participation — especially when working with young or emerging talent.
Rise Her Game: Media, Safeguarding, and Gender Equity
Safeguarding and equity are central to Wairimu’s work beyond representation. She is the co-founder of Rise Her Game, alongside Syombua A. Kibue, an initiative focused on gender equality, safeguarding, and financial awareness in sport.
Rise Her Game responds to gaps that exist across generations — particularly how women and girls experience media exposure, power dynamics, and protection within sporting spaces. The initiative uses dialogue, media training, and advocacy to promote gender-responsive storytelling, ethical reporting, and safer environments both online and offline.
Rather than positioning safeguarding as a checklist, Rise Her Game treats it as a cultural responsibility — one that involves journalists, federations, brands, and athletes alike.
Wairimu’s contribution sits at the intersection of media practice and athlete welfare, advocating for storytelling that informs without exploiting and visibility that does not come at the cost of safety.
Documenting Women’s Leadership Through 50MIA
Alongside her work in representation and safeguarding, Wairimu Nyathira is the Project Lead for the 50 Most Influential African Women in Sports (50MIA) — a pan-African platform that documents and celebrates women shaping sport across administration, governance, medicine, media, and leadership.
The most recent edition of 50MIA was delivered as a virtual continental event, expanding access across Africa and the diaspora. The next physical convening is scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal, from November 5–7, 2026, bringing together honourees, partners, and industry leaders to reflect, connect, and shape future collaboration.
At its core, 50MIA is about legacy — ensuring that women’s contributions to African sport are recorded, recognised, and passed forward.
A Measured, Values-Led Practice
Across her work, Wairimu Nyathira operates with a consistent principle: sport is powerful, and power must be handled carefully. Whether supporting athletes through representation, shaping communications for athlete programs, contributing to safeguarding conversations through Rise Her Game, or leading continental platforms like 50MIA, her focus remains on building systems that are fair, safe, and sustainable.
In an industry often driven by speed and visibility, her work is quieter — but foundational. And as African sport continues to grow on the global stage, it is this kind of thoughtful, values-led leadership that will help shape its future.