#WCW: Slim Possible’s Chiki – 8 things to know about her

Good looks, check; washboard abs, check; personality, check; killer moves, check.

Chiki Onwukwe, 27, is a fitness sensation, cheerful, humble and positive about situations that come her way.

Many know her as the Kuruka fitness instructor and dance choreographer on Citizen Television’s Slim Possible, which airs on Fridays at 9:30 pm. There’s more to Chiki.

Citizen Digital recently spent time with the full-of-life fitness guru when she shared a lot of information about herself.

She is our #WCW today.

1. Her parents are both half Nigerian-half-Swiss

Chiki is the first born in a family of three (all girls) to ‘point-five’ parents. Both her mum (a lawyer based in the U.K.) and dad (renowned journalist based in Switzerland) have half Nigerian-half Swiss decent.

Being the first born, Chiki was ‘forced’ to mature faster, and be responsible at a very tender age.

“At the age of 9, I could rise up very early and prepare my younger siblings for school, make breakfast and clean the house. I knew how to do every single house chore.”

Her parents later split when she was 12, but says both have been instrumental in bringing her and her siblings up.

“My mum is the staunch disciplinarian; when she says ‘no’ to something, she will never backtrack. My dad on the other end, would threaten to do something, but he won’t; he was however, a good advisor.”

Has she visited Nigeria? Chiki says ‘very few times’.

1. She was born and raised in the United Kingdom

If you are keen, you would probably note Chiki’s English accent resembles a Britons’.

No, she is not faking it – the curvy lass grew up in the United Kingdom for the better part of her childhood, and naturally acquired the accent.

Chiki also attended her primary and high school education in Britain’s capital – London.

Meet her today, and see the energy in her – your guess about her childhood would probably be right – she was very hyper.

“I could finish my school work very quickly, and rush to the field to play, I loved to dance and trying out new things at quite a tender age.”

1. Growing up in London, she faced racist remarks

Being half black-half white did not spare Chiki from being racially insulted.

She recalls an incident where she and her mum were headed to a school function in London when a group of ‘white people’ saw them by the road and a section shouted racist chants at them.

She however, says her mum’s support and teachings helped her ignore the racists’ remarks.

“Growing up, mum always told me one thing – that whoever abuses someone for being black is stupid, so I shouldn’t waste my energy arguing or answering back to a stupid person’s remarks – I would be stooping low to his or her level, and I shouldn’t allow that to happen.”

She however, finds her ‘colour element’ interesting. When she visited Kenya for the first time, she was surprised to hear kids and even adults call her ‘mzungu’.

1. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Maths and Psychology

Chiki was a very bright student. All through her education, she scored straight A’s in course work.

Her exceptional academic performance made her classmates’ parents wonder what she did ‘extra’ that other kids did not do; besides winning trophies in co-curricular activities, she would top honors in her class.

“When my name would feature in the list of outstanding students, my classmates’ parents would give my mum that look of ‘your kid tops in everything-what so special about her’?”

Her academic prowess would later see her join the University College of London to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Maths and Pyschology.

1. She began pursuing dance professionally at age 12

Chiki loves dancing; it is her passion; it runs in her blood – cut her apart and you’d see dance move elements flowing in her.

This hobby, which later turned into a career ,is not a recent acquisition– she is 15 years old in the industry.

She started dancing at a very tender age, but later adopted the art for career purposes at the age of 16.

She would go to clubs (from age 16) solely to dance, and her mum trusted her to do only that – her grades in school weren’t disappointing after all.

Chiki dances to literally every genre of music. She says she developed passion for dancehall when she joined high school; Jamaicans formed a good part of the students’ population then.

She is a Community Sports Leadership Award (CSLA)-qualified trainer and has been teaching dance and dance fitness for 15 years. The CSLA is an intense 2-year course for group sports training at all levels, ages and for different groups including the physically disabled.

Chiki previously worked with Weight Watchers and ran the Ministry of Sound dance team in the United Kingdom.

6. She loves Kenya!

If there is one person who can take a bullet for Kenya, it is Chiki.

She recalls visiting Kenya from the U.K. for an initially planned trip of two days, but upon arrival and meeting the inhabitants, she was amazed by the hospitality, the scenery, and the warmth of Kenyans – she had to extend her stay.

Since then, Kenya has been her home.

7. She enjoys the experience with Slim Possible ‘family’

She calls the contestants, fitness instructors, health experts, the Boma Hotel fraternity, Citizen TV production crew of Slim Possible season 6 a family – she says it’s more than just a team working towards a common course, but a family closely knitted by the fabric of love, support and care.

“Given the chance, I would work with the Slim Possible family forever – from contestants to production crew, all are amazing!” She affirmed.

8. She plans to roll out a fitness program in the future

Chiki could soon be on your screens more than the limited time she has been.

With the great success and presence on Slim Possible, the gifted and humble fitness expert says she is working on a project to have a fitness program broadcast on a local television station soon.

“We see the struggles people, especially women, go through every day in quest of losing weight. I’m convinced the program will help the ‘big’ population. I am also planning to put up a fitness clothes line in partnership with a colleague.”

She affirms is out to conquer Africa and make it a healthier continent.