Inside Athletics 2/14/2024 1:00:00 PM Nashra Syed

Far from home but not far from family for Lisa Franchett-Ngandu

Growing up, TMU Bold track and field student-athlete Lisa Franchett-Ngandu always had a strong connection to the sport. She comes from a family where track was the norm, so you could say it's in her blood.

"It's a family thing. My grandma did track, my mom did ballet and track, my dad just did track. So it's always been just track, track, track," said Franchett-Ngandu.

Lisa Franchett-Ngandu Spotlight Prep

Franchett-Ngandu is an international student-athlete from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her parents work for the United Nations which has allowed her the opportunity to travel to multiple countries across Africa. Impressively, she also speaks eight languages.

"One thing that was just very hard for me was learning English. English was really not my second language, it is my eighth language," said the polyglot.

Franchett-Ngandu previously lived in the United States, too. This was where she was further exposed to English and where she was able to immerse herself in North American culture.

The decision to move continents wasn't an easy one, but with the help and care of her brother, Franchett-Ngandu was able to learn more about herself and be exposed to North America, which ultimately pushed her to come to TMU.

"I felt more at home at TMU because to me, it is a very international community school. So it's known for a very good environment," she explained.

Moving around and experiencing different cultures has its ups, but it also isn't everything it's made out to be.

"Every [few years], I have to go and change schools," said the track athlete.

The constant relocating caused Franchett-Ngandu to have trouble creating long lasting friendships. Another barrier for her was dealing with dyslexia.

"It was just very overwhelming in terms of my whole personality. And just, I couldn't really communicate with people just because I couldn't really speak or even do simple math at the age of eight. Still that age, I just couldn't," Franchett-Ngandu said.

Despite some setbacks, Franchett-Ngandu was determined to make her mark. She knew she had it in her to be one of the best, and winning races in Africa helped her realize her full potential.

"And [my dad] was like, 'You're pretty good in track. I feel like you should continue because it runs in the family'," said Franchett-Ngandu.

Her family helped her to become a student-athlete, but at TMU, Franchett-Ngandu found a chosen family in the team.

The track has become her safe haven. When she has an off day or experiences some difficulties, she knows that when she sees her teammates, she'll be okay, because they're more than teammates, they're family.

"That's what I really like about my team, is just that they never let you down. They're always there to support you in any moment that you want," added Franchett-Ngandu.

Franchett-Ngandu hopes to make her family and country proud by going the full nine yards and competing at national levels. She takes it upon herself to represent her culture and history in the best light possible.

"I'm representing not only my country as I'm also running, because we barely have Congolese runners in the track events," said Franchett-Ngandu. "And I'm also representing my family just to make them feel proud of me and to make them see like, 'Oh, that's my daughter running right now.' That's just all I wish for them," added the runner.

As a Black athlete and coming from a culture that puts some barriers on women, Franchett-Ngandu is ready to challenge that prejudice, and wants other girls to know that there's nothing they can't achieve.

"Fun fact is, in my culture, girls are not meant to do anything that has to do with track. My culture also says that most girls are not allowed to go to school," said the first-year. "So as a Black, international student, being on a track team makes me proud and kind of proves a point that if I can do it, if Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce can do it, if Shakira Wrenches and can do it, if anybody can do it, then why can't I also do it?," she added.

As she progresses into her career at TMU and her hopeful journey into the next phase as a track athlete, Franchett-Ngandu reflects on her progression as an athlete, which also includes some faults. Lisa Franchett-Ngandu Spotlight Action

"I hit the [TMU] school record, but I got disqualified because I stepped on the line twice. So it was a really good memory because I've been trying to hit that record since September," said the first-year cheerfully, despite the fault.

With her head held high, Franchett-Ngandu is optimistic and knows she can beat her own unofficial record, and not step on the line.

As a rookie, she has the potential to keep growing and learning both on and off the track. As life speeds up, the international student reminds herself of why she's here and what impact she wants to have, noting that with the right mindset, everything is possible.

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Players Mentioned

Lisa Franchett-Ngandu: 1

Players Mentioned

Lisa Franchett-Ngandu
: 1