When it came to sports as a girl, Agnes Baluka Masajja was a natural. In school, she played netball, soccer, and ran track and field. However, as is the reality for many girls in Uganda, there came a point when Agnes’ father pushed her to focus on academics and leave the sports world behind. She didn’t listen. “I would have to hide when I ran so he wouldn’t find out,” Agnes laughs. “I would avoid any national competitions or races where there’d be media coverage because I didn’t want to get in trouble. By the time I got to university, I told my dad, ‘This is my career. This is my destiny.’ So he couldn’t refuse me anymore.”

Contrary to what her father believed, sports only improved Agnes’ performance in the classroom. She earned a master’s degree in sports science and a Ph.D. in gender issues in sports. Currently the sports tutor for Busitema University, Agnes coordinates and supervises the university’s 16 sports programs. On top of her work with the university, Agnes is the head of the education commission for the Association of Uganda University Sports. She organizes national and international tournaments, coaching workshops for sports trainers and tutors, as well as larger seminars and conferences across Uganda.