She was the 5000 metres silver medallist at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics, held in Grosseto, Italy.
[2] As with the 2002 Olympics, she was the sole female athlete in the Malawi team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.
She was one of 17 athletes from a variety of countries who had lunch with Queen Elizabeth II, Chikwakwa later said "She asked about my home, and my family, and my training.
[3] That same year, Chikwakwa came closest any Malawian had to automatically qualifying for an Olympic games when she set a time of 15 minutes and 31 seconds in the 5000 metres.
By 2016 she decided to enrol for an access to nursing course with Harriet Ellis Training Solutions (a private college) while still in British Army.