Alcoholism, self-harm, suicide attempts: to escape depression, this former rugby player becomes a culinary influencer and king of Tik Tok

“Cooking in a way kept me sane, it allowed me to get through my depressive periods,” says former international sevens rugby player Dennis Ombachi EPA – YOAN VALAT

He played in two Rugby World Cup Sevens. Then sank into a serious depression. Before being reborn thanks to cooking. In 2022, Kenyan Dennis Ombachi is named by TikTok as the best African content creator.

"Done" ("it’is done&quot ;) : the gimmick punctuating his recipes is as famous as the balcony of his apartment where he films himself. Former rugby sevens international, Dennis Ombachi has become a social media figure in Kenya in just a few years.

This solid fellow (1.88 m, 96 kg) was known in his country as the hero of the historic qualification of the national sevens rugby team for the Rio 2016 Games, crossing the field to score the decisive try in the final second.

He participated in the 2016 Olympics and two Rugby Sevens World Cups

His success is now global, with millions of followers on social networks (2.3 million on TikTok, 1.4 million on Instagram) where he is "The Roaming Chef& ;quot; ("the traveling leader"). His dynamically edited videos, rhythmic monotone commentary of the famous "Done", with the "skyline" from Nairobi led to him being named by TikTok as the best African content creator in 2022, the consecration of his new life at the end of a tormented journey.

"The page of rugby is turned", says the man who traveled the world sevens circuit for ten years, participated in the 2016 Olympics and two World Cups (2013, 2018). A leg-ankle fracture in 2017 was a trigger:"It had a physical and mental impact. […] After that injury, I decided that I didn't want to do this for the rest of my life".

Depression has always been there

It was during this period that he found himself confronted with his demons. "Depression has always been there […]. But it manifested itself more during the last years of my career", he says, listing his symptoms: & quot;social withdrawal", "drinking a lot", & quot;self-mutilation" (of which he bears the marks on his forearm) and "two suicide attempts".

Hospitalized, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018. "A blessing", retrospectively estimates this elderly father of two 33 years old: "It helped answer a lot of questions about my life, my personality, my behaviors…"

It will take him "a few months, a year" to accept his condition, his treatment and his therapy. Cooking was a precious companion, like when he scoured the hotels in Hong Kong, Dubai or Las Vegas for rugby. "I was good at sports, I’ ;rsquo;had success. But once the stadium lights went out, I said to myself "My life is a little empty"", he says : < em>"Cooking somehow kept me sane, it got me through my depressive periods".

Inspired by the gastronomy of the countries he discovered and the videos of chef Gordon Ramsay that he watched day and night, he tried various recipes, ran a culinary blog, offered his services for evenings .

His videos reach up to 55 million views

After Covid-19, with a declining sporting career and the birth of his first child, the self-taught chef devoted himself to culinary videos. Success, on Tiktok in particular, will come in a few months in 2021. His videos today reach up to 54.6 million views.

His balcony, where he installed his kitchen after the birth of his son, has become an emblematic place, welcoming the African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala and the star of the ;rsquo;afbeat Davido. His secret: sequences "short, informative and entertaining".

"No "My grandmother taught me that", "When I traveled over there"… People want to see the food". In 1’30, Dennis Ombachi strives to show each step of a recipe (Kenyan or foreign) by applying the principles of his "mentor" Gordon Ramsay : "Using your eyes, your nose, your taste, understanding the different flavors, how they combine…&quot ; Even his "done" comes from a formula used by the British chef in his videos, which he says he has "unconsciously" integrated.

Just like a diabetic has to take his insulin from time to time, you have to take your medication from time to time

In 2021, the former athlete made his bipolar disorder public on Twitter to "break the stigma" on a taboo subject in Kenya, the sixth African country most affected by depressive disorders (1.95 million people), according to the WHO in 2017.

He dreams of welcoming Obama

"I’had come a long way", he says :< em> "I said to myself "It's time to tell my story. Maybe I can help one or two people"". "It’s like diabetes. Like a diabetic has to take his insulin from time to time, you have to take your medication from time to time", he plays down, assuring that you don’have "never been so happy and productive".

Today, he makes a living from his activity as an influencer and hosts culinary events with partners (food brands, supermarkets, embassies…). His dream is to receive Gordon Ramsay, chef Wolfgang Puck or Barack Obama on his balcony. He also wants to leave a restaurant "as an inheritance" to his children. "Not immediately, but that’s the end goal".