Gladys Ekaru
{{short description|Kenyan volleyball player}}
{{Infobox volleyball biography|name=Gladys Ekaru|image=|image_size=|caption=|fullname=Gladys Ekaru Emaniman|nickname=|nationality={{KEN}}|birth_date={{birth date and age|1999|10|2|df=y}}|birth_place=Trans Nzoia, Kenya|hometown=|height={{convert|1.92|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}|weight={{convert|70|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}|spike={{convert|292|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}|block={{convert|282|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}|college=|position=|currentclub=|currentnumber=12|years=|teams={{flagicon|Kenya}} Kenya Pipeline|nationalyears=|nationalteam={{flagicon|Kenya}} Kenya|medaltemplates=|medaltemplates-expand=set to "yes" to auto-expand medaltemplates section|updated=}}
Gladys Ekaru Emaniman (born 2 October 1999) is a Kenyan volleyball player. She is part of the Kenya women's national volleyball team.{{Cite web|title=Gladys Ekaru Emaniman - Volleyball player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/volleyball/gladys-ekaru-emaniman/341534/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=globalsportsarchive.com}}
Life
She was born in Trans-Nzoia County in 1999. The event that shaped her career was when a friend persuaded her to get her parents to allow her to change schools. Ekaru was tall and a 400 metre runner and her friend knew she would be good at volleyball. She changed schools to attend Kwanthanze Secondary School in Machakos County. Her parents were extra pleased when the school agreed to cover her costs with a scholarship. The school had a reputation for volleyball and in 2018 the national team took five players from the school.{{Citation|title=5 players from Kwanthanze chosen to national volleyball team|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUqqiepxnNQ|language=en|access-date=2021-07-21}}
Ekaru found volleyball demanding and she decided to give it up. Luckily a school and team mate Sharon Chepchumba and the school's coach Justine Kigwari helped her.{{Cite web|title=Volleyball - EMANIMAN Gladys Ekaru|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/volleyball/athlete-profile-n1307382-emaniman-gladys-ekaru.htm|access-date=2021-07-21|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-date=2021-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725145820/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/volleyball/athlete-profile-n1307382-emaniman-gladys-ekaru.htm|url-status=dead}} Kigwari and the school also created the volleyball professionals Pamela Masaisai and Sharon ChepChumba.{{Cite web |title=Kwanthanze to make a fresh start in search of talent, says Kigwari |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/sports/2021-12-24-kwanthanze-to-make-a-fresh-start-in-search-of-talent-says-kigwari |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=The Star |language=en}}
In 2019 she joined the Malkia Strikers (the national squad) with Jemimma Siangu and Ruth Mutinga in preparation for the 2019 African Games under the coach Japheth Munala.{{Cite web|title=Gladys Ekaru – Sports Africa|url=https://www.sportsnews.africa/tag/gladys-ekaru/|access-date=2021-07-13|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713090216/https://www.sportsnews.africa/tag/gladys-ekaru/|url-status=dead}} She got to play with her hero Triza Atuka.
She made her international debut in Cairo.{{Cite web|title=Player - Gladys Ekaru Emaniman - FIVB Tokyo Volleyball Qualification 2019|url=https://en.volleyballworld.com/en/volleyball/ioqt/2019/women-pool6/teams/ken-kenya/players/gladys_ekaru_emaniman?id=75634|access-date=2021-07-13|website=en.volleyballworld.com}}
She was chosen to represent Kenya at the 2020 Summer Olympics by coach Paul Bitok.{{cite web|url=https://www.fivb.com/en/about/news/kenya-unveil-roster-for-the-tokyo-olympics?id=94511|title=Kenya unveil roster for the Tokyo Olympics|publisher=fivb.com|date=26 June 2021|accessdate=13 July 2021}} The team set off from Kenya for the Olympics in Tokyo in three batches to try and minimise the chances of being effected by the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=PHOTOS: Kenya’s volleyball queens step out in style for Olympic showdown|url=https://www.sportsnews.africa/photos-kenyas-volleyball-queens-step-out-in-style-for-olympic-showdown/|access-date=19 July 2021|website=Sports Africa|language=en-US|archive-date=19 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719151919/https://www.sportsnews.africa/photos-kenyas-volleyball-queens-step-out-in-style-for-olympic-showdown/|url-status=dead}} Within their group the Kenyan team will first play the home team of Japan on 25 July and then at two day intervals the team will play South Korea, Serbia, the Dominican Republic and then Brazil on 2 August 2021.