Judith Ayaa established herself as Uganda’s renowned trailblazing sprinter, as confirmed by her track record on the international track scene. Relatively tall at 5’9″, she was born on July 15, 1952. Ayaa is reported to have died in 2002 amidst poverty (even involving Ayaa crushing stones for a living) and caring for her children who were said to be as many as 8. In the early 1970s the names John Akii-Bua and Ayaa were foremost among Ugandan runners, the two competing in many international track and field meets.
During an era when African women’s participation in competitive sports was in its nascent and predominantly amateur stages, young Judith Ayaa became a resounding name among African track and field stars. Ayaa remains the only Ugandan woman to have won a medal at the Commonwealth Games. But Ayaa’s career was short-lived, probably because she married early and ended up having several children and because she was an ethnic Acholi… a group (for political reasons) that Ugandan President Idi Amin kept a constant eye on. Similarly, John Akii-Bua was from the Lango ethnic group, which was considered very adverse to Idi Amin. It is said that Akii-Bua’s ethnicity, despite his fame and background, prevented him from fully realizing his potential as an obstacle. Akii-Bua was sometimes under house arrest and frustrated with competing internationally.
Judith Ayaa’s record at the East and Central African Athletics Championships is astounding. In 1968, Ayaa won gold in the 100-meter race, finishing in 11.5 seconds. The following year, 1969, Ayaa consolidated and confirmed her formidable ability by winning the 100 meters (11.8 seconds), the 200 meters (25.0 s) and the 400 m (53.6 s) in the same championships. . Similarly, in 1970 at the same championships, Judith Ayaa was not far behind. The slender young woman in the “Mercedes-Benz” bodywork won again in the 100 m (11.8 s), 200 m (24.1 s) and 400 m (54.0 s). In 1969, on the basis of her best time of 53.6 s, Judith Ayaa was ranked among the best 400 m runners in the world, the only African woman in this group.
It was at the Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1970, that she established herself as an international athlete to be reckoned with. At these Games, Judith Ayaa competed prominently in the 400 m. The final saw world record-breaking 17-year-old legendary Jamaican Marilyn Fay Neufville winning (51.02s) an astonishing over two seconds ahead of silver medalist Sandra Brown (53.66s) of Australia , Judith Ayaa (53.77 s) entering with a photo -finishing third and thus capturing the bronze medal. This would notably be Judith Ayaa’s most recognized international performance! Marilyn Neufville’s excellent career would be short-lived due to physical injuries and inconsequential surgery. At the 1974 Commonwealth Games held in Christchurch in New Zealand, Neufville was sixth in the final. And at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal in Canada, she was eliminated in the first round.
The next big challenge for Ayaa, the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich, Germany, would prove to be interesting for Ayaa. In the first round, she Ayaa in lane two placed fourth (52.85 s), thus qualifying for the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Judith Ayaa was drawn in lane 7 on her heat. Ayaa finished comfortably in third place and set a Ugandan national record of 52.68 s. The national record would stand for many years, and this would be Ayaa’s personal best. It should be noted that in these semifinals, she Ayaa beat the 26-year-old French Colette Besson, the surprise winner in the same event in the previous Olympic Games (Mexico City in Mexico, 1968). Besson was in lane 3 and fifth place of hers disqualified her from moving on to the next round. After 1972, Ayaa’s performance would turn mediocre soon after she got married and she started having children one after another. Her passing was far from glamorous, it was discouraging. But her reign on the women’s track was brief but superb and long-lasting. Trophies and national athletic meets in Northern Uganda have been commemorated in her memory.