At 2am, when much of Kenya is still asleep, Parin Simiyu is already at work at the Prisons Staff Training College.
The Kenya Prisons Officer rises early to lead recruits through morning runs and physical training. By about 5am, she has already completed a workout herself. After a short rest, she puts on another set of training gear, this time for netball.
For Simiyu, there is little room for idleness.
By day, she is a physical training instructor at the Kenya Prisons Service. On the court, she is captain and defensive pillar of the Kenya national women's senior netball team, the Kenya Divas. In church, she is a youth leader and adviser. At home, she is a guardian to her nephew.
It is a demanding routine that has helped make the 45-year-old one of Kenya's most experienced netball players, with 101 international caps.
“I’m the sister or doctor of the team,” she observes with a smile, describing the role she has assumed as the oldest member of the squad.
Simiyu plays primarily as a goal defender (GD) and goalkeeper (GK), positions where experience, anticipation and physical strength are crucial. She is also among the few players who can tell the story of Kenya's modern netball journey from close range.
Her sporting journey began at Misikhu Girls' Boarding Primary School in Bungoma County. Netball was not her first love. She played football and volleyball before trying basketball. But her height caught the attention of a teacher, who encouraged her to take up netball.
The decisive moment came after she joined Chwele Girls, where coach Kimawach Wekesa saw potential in the tall Form One student.
“Coach Kimawach really inspired me into netball,” she recalls.
Chwele had a strong netball side, but many senior players were preparing to leave school. Simiyu was among the youngsters expected to fill the gap. Other schools, including Ndivisi, also began recruiting talented players for national competitions. The prospect of travelling and representing teams at national level gave her further motivation.
Gradually, netball became more than a sport. It became her calling.
After Form Four, her life took another turn. In 2001, she moved to Nairobi after being scouted by Kenya Prisons during a tournament in Bungoma. She joined the Prisons team as a civilian, hoping eventually to become an officer. The then coach, Madam Nerea, hosted and supported her as she settled into a new environment.
The move brought more structured training, allowing her to concentrate almost entirely on netball. She spent about four years with Kenya Prisons as a civilian before achieving her ambition.
In 2006, she joined the Kenya Prisons Service and has remained there ever since.
“Netball has done a lot in my life,” she says.
Through the sport, Simiyu has travelled across Africa and beyond, earned employment and risen through the national team ranks. Her international assignments have taken her to Australia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, the United Arab Emirates and Mozambique, among others.
She represented Kenya at the 2011 Africa Games in Mozambique and has competed at African Championships, World Ranking Championships, Africa Games and other international tournaments.
Her achievements were recognised in 2025 when she received the Head of State Commendation in the sports category under the Heroes and Heroines recognition.
She has also been part of Kenya's recent success in Singapore, helping the team win gold medals in 2024 and 2025, as well as bronze in the UAE in 2025.
But Simiyu knows her playing career is approaching its final chapter. Asked how much longer she can compete at the highest level, she estimates perhaps two more years.
“The young blood is coming in,” she observes.
For her, that means the next responsibility is not simply to keep playing, but to pass on the knowledge she has accumulated over more than two decades.
Simiyu has witnessed Kenya's rise in international netball. She remembers a time when the country barely featured on the global ranking ladder. Kenya began participating more consistently in global and continental competitions from 2018, and the results have followed.
The country has climbed from 42nd to 22nd in the world.
She believes Kenya can go even further through greater exposure to stronger opposition. Other countries have more regular access to international competition, which helps players develop tactical awareness, confidence and experience.
“When you are going outside the country, go an extra mile in training,” she advises aspiring players.
Her message is simple: talent alone is not enough.
“If the coach gives you 20 per cent, 80 per cent should be yours.”
She also points to social media as an opportunity for young athletes. Like decorated javelin thrower Julius Yego, who learned through YouTube, players can watch elite matches, study drills and learn techniques from around the world without necessarily leaving Kenya.
Simiyu's extraordinary fitness is rooted in discipline. As a physical training instructor, she spends much of her working life around exercise. When recruits are training, her day can begin at 2.00am with morning exercises, followed by netball training and afternoon sessions with recruits. When there are no recruits, she begins her own programme at 4.00am.
Running, gym sessions, field work and aerobics are part of her lifestyle. She also pays close attention to nutrition, emphasising protein for muscle recovery, vegetables for general health and plenty of water.
She is equally conscious of anti-doping rules, urging players to understand what they consume and compete clean because one athlete's mistake can affect an entire team.
Her teammates' description of her as the team's “doctor” reflects not a medical qualification, but the wisdom and guidance that come with age and experience. As the oldest player, she has become a natural mentor to younger teammates.
Simiyu credits Kenya Netball Federation president Immaculate Kabutha for contributing significantly to her journey.
“Under her leadership, dedication and commitment, Kenya Netball Federation is destined far,” she says.
She also recognises her Kenya Prisons coach, Evelyn Jerono, for helping develop her career.
Away from work and netball, Simiyu's life is deeply rooted in her faith. A Seventh-Day Adventist, she describes church as one of the three places people are most likely to find her, alongside the field and gym.
She serves as a leader and adviser to young people aged 10 to 15, mentoring them and encouraging them to consider netball.
“Netball is not only a game,” she points out. “It is life coaching.”
Her own family story has shaped her outlook. Born an only child, she lost her father and, more recently, her mother. She is unmarried and currently lives with her nephew, whom she has taken into her home. Despite those losses, she speaks warmly about the support her family has given her throughout her sporting career.
Her greatest concern now is what happens when her generation steps aside.
She wants parents, teachers and coaches to recognise that children can succeed through talents beyond academics. She welcomes Kenya's competency-based education approach for giving greater attention to different abilities and interests.
Her message to parents is straightforward: discover what a child is good at and support it.
She also urges young players to embrace opportunities. Sport, she says, can open doors to employment in institutions such as Kenya Prisons, the Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Ports Authority. Increasingly, Kenyan players are also finding opportunities abroad, including Lydia Nyapere, who plays for Makate Club in Zimbabwe.
For a country still developing its professional netball structures, such moves offer a glimpse of what could be possible.
Simiyu never had a netball role model growing up. The sport had limited exposure, with few opportunities to watch elite players or learn from them.
“I was just hustling in the forest, in the wilderness, and I found myself somewhere,” she recalls.
That experience drives her determination to mentor the next generation. She wants young players to have what she lacked: mentors, greater exposure, better training and a clear pathway.
Her playing career may be approaching its twilight, but Simiyu is already preparing for what comes next.
She knows the young blood is coming.
And when she eventually leaves the court, she hopes to leave behind more than 100-plus caps, medals and international appearances.
She wants to leave behind players ready to carry the Kenyan flag.
For Simiyu, that is perhaps the most important game of all.
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