Table Tennis as Therapy: Inside Audrey Oronda's Mission to Support Parkinson's Patients in Kenya

For many living with Parkinson's disease in East Africa, the diagnosis often carries a weight far heavier than the physical symptoms.

It brings a shadow of social withdrawal, a lack of specialised rehabilitative care, and a devastating layer of cultural misunderstanding.

However, Audrey Oronda, an IOC Young Leader and seasoned athlete, is changing that narrative. Through her initiative, aTTain Table Tennis, she is championing 'sport for development,' proving that a paddle and a plastic ball can be the most effective tools for restoring hope.

As the global community approaches a unique intersection of awareness, World Parkinson’s Day on April 11 and World Table Tennis Day on April 26, Audrey Oronda is leveraging her international platform to highlight how a simple sport can address complex neurological needs.

In a region where specialised physical therapy can be expensive or inaccessible, her community-driven model offers a low-cost solution that treats the person.

Audrey Oronda is slowly transforming table tennis from a competitive pastime into a lifeline for health, inclusion, and empowerment.

Audrey Oronda's journey began on the court. Since 2012, she has navigated the world of table tennis, witnessing its unique ability to transcend socioeconomic barriers.

Her inspiration for aTTain was born from observing the collateral benefits of the sport, the way a child’s confidence grew, or a stressed professional’s heart rate stabilised.

She realised that if table tennis could regulate hypertension and manage stress, it had the untapped potential to serve as a therapeutic intervention for more severe, life-altering conditions.

"I founded aTTain because I have witnessed firsthand through my coaching journey how sport brings hope to kids from a disadvantaged background who struggle with pursuing their studies, how people regulate terminal illnesses such as hypertension through table tennis,” Audrey Oronda told Pulse Sports Kenya.

“I have witnessed what difference an hour of playing table tennis can do to manage stress for people in high-stress jobs. Table tennis works miracles on work-life-family balance. And so, time and again, table tennis has proved that it’s not just about medals and trips, but it can offer so much more.

“Through initiatives like aTTain Parkinson’s, Grassroots coaching, Training camps, Inclusive tournaments, aTTain wants to empower Kenyans and beyond, that not only can sports be a pathway to talent development, but also a therapeutic tool and bridge to communities’ wellness and hope."

According to Audrey Oronda, choosing table tennis over more traditional African sports like football or athletics was a strategic decision rooted in the sport's unique physiological demands.

Often called ‘high-speed chess,’ table tennis is a brain sport because it requires players to track a rapidly moving object, adjust their stance, and plan their next move in milliseconds.

This aerobic and cognitive stimulation is exactly what the brain of a person with Parkinson’s needs to maintain neuroplasticity.

Unlike heavy-impact sports, table tennis is gentle on the joints but rigorous on the neurological pathways, making it the perfect equaliser for people of varying physical abilities.

"I’ve personally been involved in table tennis since 2012, so I understand the sport quite deeply, not just from a technical perspective, but also its potential to shape individuals and communities. Table tennis stood out to me because of its accessibility and versatility,” she said.

“It doesn’t require large spaces or expensive infrastructure, which makes it easier to introduce in schools and communities. It’s also highly inclusive, you can have people of different ages, abilities, and backgrounds playing together on the same table.

“What makes it even more powerful is how it engages both the body and the mind. It requires focus, coordination, and quick decision-making, which supports both physical and cognitive development. This is especially important in initiatives like our Parkinson’s program. Ultimately, table tennis allows me to combine impact, inclusion, and sustainability in a very practical and meaningful way."

While the passion was local, the framework for aTTain was refined on the global stage. Being selected as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Young Leader provided Audrey Oronda with a sophisticated toolkit for social entrepreneurship.

This mentorship taught her that for a program to be effective, it must move beyond sporadic feel-good sessions and toward a structured, measurable model of development.

It pushed her to align her love for the game with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing specifically on Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

"Being an IOC Young Leader challenged me to think beyond sport as just performance and competition, and instead see it as a powerful tool for addressing real social issues,” she added.

“Through the learning experiences, mentorship, and exposure to other global projects, I began to better understand how sport can be intentionally designed to create impact in areas like health, inclusion, and community development. It also pushed me to be more structured and intentional in my approach, moving from simply running sessions to building a project with clear goals, sustainability, and measurable impact.

“Most importantly, being part of a global network of young leaders inspired me to look at local challenges, like the limited awareness of Parkinson’s in Kenya, and ask: how can I use what I have, table tennis, to respond to this? That mindset is what led to the creation of the aTTain Table Tennis, turning a simple sport into a meaningful, community-driven solution."

One of the most profound hurdles Audrey Oronda faces is not a lack of equipment, but a lack of understanding. In many Kenyan communities, neurological disorders are not viewed through a clinical lens.

Instead, the tremors, gait issues, and facial masking associated with Parkinson’s are frequently misinterpreted through a superstitious lens. This cultural stigma can lead to families hiding their elderly relatives away, fearing that the condition is a curse or the result of witchcraft.

Breaking this cycle of isolation requires more than just a coach; it requires an advocate who can re-educate a community while providing a safe space for the vulnerable.

"Parkinson’s disease is still largely misunderstood in Kenya. When you ask many people about it, they often have little to no awareness of what it actually is. And for those who have heard of it, there are often significant misconceptions,” Audrey Oronda says.

“One of the biggest challenges is that symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, or slowed movement are sometimes associated with witchcraft, curses, or supernatural causes, which are beliefs that can be deeply rooted in some communities. This leads to stigma, fear, and, in many cases, isolation for people living with the condition.

“Others may simply dismiss it as a normal part of aging, which delays proper diagnosis and support. As a result, many individuals and families struggle in silence without access to the right information or care. This is why awareness is such a critical part of the work we do through aTTain."

The magic of the aTTain Parkinson’s Initiative lies in its ability to camouflage therapy as play. For a participant, they are not performing a balance exercise; they are reaching for a ball. They are not practising cognitive focus; they are trying to return a serve.

This shift in mindset is crucial for people living with chronic conditions, as it replaces the frustration of rehabilitation with the joy of recreation. By adapting the speed of the game and the distance from the table, Audrey creates a customised experience that meets every individual at their specific stage of the disease.

"Table tennis helps people living with Parkinson’s by combining gentle physical movement with mental stimulation in a very natural and enjoyable way. Physically, the game encourages small, controlled movements, like reaching, stepping, and coordinating the arms, which can help improve balance, flexibility, and overall mobility. These are areas that are often affected by Parkinson’s,” she added.

"At the same time, table tennis requires players to track the ball, react quickly, and make decisions, which helps stimulate the brain. This combination of movement and thinking supports both motor skills and cognitive function. What makes it especially effective is that it is low-impact and adaptable.

“The game can be slowed down, simplified, or modified depending on a person’s ability, making it accessible for different stages of the condition. Beyond the physical and cognitive benefits, it also creates a social and enjoyable environment. People are not just exercising, they are interacting, laughing, and feeling part of a community again."

When someone walks into an aTTain session in Kilifi, they find an environment built on patience rather than performance. The sessions are designed to be accessible to all, regardless of their previous experience with the sport.

By removing the barriers to entry, cost, specialised clothing, or high-level skill, Audrey Oronda has made aTTain a true community asset. The initiative also recognises that a patient's support system is their greatest asset, making the inclusion of caregivers a cornerstone of the program’s success.

“The program is open to people living with Parkinson’s, their caregivers, and even community members who want to support or learn more. We encourage caregivers to participate as well, so it becomes a shared and supportive experience. In terms of accessibility, we aim to keep the program as low-cost and community-based as possible,” she added.

“Table tennis is relatively easy to set up, and we work within available spaces to make it accessible to more people. We are currently based in Kilifi, but our long-term goal is to expand into more communities so that more people across Kenya can benefit from these sessions."

A Parkinson’s diagnosis is never solitary; it ripples through the lives of spouses, children, and neighbours. These caregivers often face high levels of burnout and emotional fatigue.

Audrey Oronda’s initiative provides a rare third space where caregivers can step out of their roles as providers and into the role of participants. By playing alongside their loved ones, they rediscover a sense of playfulness and shared accomplishment that the disease often strips away.

"Yes, caregivers and family members are a very important part of the aTTain Parkinson’s Initiative. We intentionally encourage them to be involved in the sessions, not just as observers but as active participants,” she said.

“Caregivers can join in the activities, play alongside their loved ones, and share in the experience. This not only strengthens their relationship but also makes the sessions more enjoyable and less clinical."

The impact of aTTain is already being felt across the region. With 47 direct participants and 60 caregivers, the program is building a significant footprint. However, the true measure of success for Audrey is the mobilisation of the youth.

By engaging 100 student volunteers from Pwani University, she is training a new generation of Kenyans to look at disability and ageing with empathy and scientific understanding, effectively planting the seeds for long-term cultural change.

"One of the most rewarding moments since launching the initiative has been seeing the genuine buy-in from the Parkinson’s community itself. When participants begin to ask for more sessions and express how much they look forward to playing, it shows that the space we’ve created truly matters,” she said.

“However, one of the biggest obstacles has been the low level of awareness around Parkinson’s disease in Kenya. In many cases, you cannot introduce an initiative if people don’t first understand the condition itself. So a lot of the work begins with helping communities understand what Parkinson’s is before even talking about how table tennis can support it.

“This means we often have to take a step back, starting with basic awareness, education, and conversations, and then gradually building community trust and buy-in. That process takes time, but it’s very necessary. Because of this, awareness is currently a bigger hurdle than funding."

As World Table Tennis Day draws near, Audrey Oronda wants the future of health to be collaborative and inclusive. She envisions a Kenya where every community centre has a table, and where every person living with a movement disorder has access to the therapeutic joy of sport.

Her goal is to expand this model across Africa, proving that local solutions, powered by passionate youth leadership, can tackle global health challenges.

"The message I hope to amplify is one of awareness, inclusion, and possibility. First, we want people to understand that Parkinson’s disease is a medical condition, not a curse, not witchcraft, and that those living with it deserve dignity, support, and understanding,” she said.

“My long-term vision for aTTain Table Tennis is to build a sustainable sport-for-development platform that uses sport, not just table tennis, but potentially other accessible sports, as a bridge to connect communities, improve wellbeing, and create inclusive opportunities.

“Success will mean seeing aTTain grow beyond one location into multiple communities in Kenya, with trained coaches and stronger partnerships driving impact. Ultimately, the goal is to build a movement where sport becomes a unifying force for impact, connecting people across different backgrounds and creating lasting change."

Audrey Oronda’s work through aTTain Table Tennis is a testament to the fact that the most sophisticated solutions to healthcare challenges are often the most human ones.

By placing a paddle in the hands of someone who has been told to stay still, she is effectively rewriting the rules of what it means to live with Parkinson’s in Kenya.