Kenyan double Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, known for his extraordinary achievements in athletics and as an inspirational figure, dedicated his time to mentoring members of the World Athletics Refugee Team in Kapsabet on Sunday (13th).
“I came here to tell you that being a refugee is not the end of life. In fact, it is the beginning of life, because as a refugee there is so much to achieve in this world. Because we are there,” Kipchoge said. “Don’t underestimate yourself just because you’re a refugee. We’re all equal human beings and we’re athletes.”
Athletes sat with pens and notebooks open, ready to jot down nuggets of wisdom about the fundamentals of a successful life that they shared with marathon greats. They were listening intently.
“The whole world has recognized you as a nation, are you happy?” Kipchoge asked.
The players responded with a loud “yes” and applauded.
“Being recognized means you’re the best,” he added. “Believe in yourself, your school, your coaches. Be respectful.”
Eliud Kipchoge holds a class for refugee track and field team members in Kapsabet (©Michelle Katami)
The seven student-athletes who participated in the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex included Perina Nakan, who is part of the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team, Mfit Umkiza Juul, Esterina Julius, Zinad Aklan, and Peter Rotino Aquileo. , Peter Lopeyok Michael, and James Rokovich. , are school-sponsored athletes. Coaches were also in attendance.
They looked at Kipchoge with admiration. It was a dream to meet him. They were amazed and inspired by Kipchoge’s simplicity and humility, accompanied by fellow athlete Jonathan Korir.
“I finally met him. He’s a human being just like me,” Lopeyok Michael said.
Jules added: “I didn’t think he could talk like that. I thought he was a different person, but I found out that Kipchoge is a very good person. He’s a parent. He’s very encouraging. .”
It was a class in which Kipchoge wrote down the main points and explained them. This theme focused on empowering, inspiring and encouraging athletes to take education and sport seriously.
The marathon legend emphasized self-discipline, making firm decisions, being consistent, and building confidence. All these elements provide a strong foundation for life.
“For me, that’s very important, because if you have education and talent, you can become something,” Lopeyok Michael explained.
There was no talk that day about how many Olympic medals Kipchoge had won or world records – in fact, they weren’t mentioned at all. Instead, Kipchoge was intent on changing the way athletes think and look at life.
“I saw in their faces the future of the refugee team, the future of their country, the future of the sport,” he said. “I am positive about the refugee team and they have a great future. There are 206 countries participating in the Olympics worldwide, and with the addition of the refugee team, we now have 207 countries, so they have a great opportunity. is given.”
It was the reminder this team needed after going through a very difficult and traumatic life. But Kipchoge sees their experience as the perfect starting point for guidance.
“They are difficult to mold and easy to mold at the same time,” he said. “They are hard to mold because they have gone through a tough life, but they are easy to mold as a whole because they understand the tough life better than anyone. So, here in Kenya, in education and sports, Bring in that tough life, they’re ready to accept it.”
Mentor Eliud Kipchoge running with members of the refugee track and field team (© Michelle Katami)
As he quizzed each athlete about their plans, Kipchoge discovered that they all harbored ambitions to become legends, just like the man in front of them.
“To be like you, to be successful and help your family, to respect others, to stay humble, to respect your teammates, to do your school work, to do well in athletics,” said Julius. answered.
“Focus on education, love and share with each other,” Rokiwicz replied.
The session was interactive and engaging. Shared aspirations were expressed with serious expressions and laughter.
“Do you want to be successful? Do you want to be successful?” Do you want to own a car, a house, have money, and live a rich life? Or do you want to be a legend? ” Kipchoge asked.
“Let’s aim to become a refugee legend. To be a legend is to make an impact on behalf of refugees. That’s a real success. But you have to study, train well and stay focused. there is.
“Success doesn’t happen overnight. Success takes time. If you love your life and love your sport, stay away from drugs. True champions win through their sweat, blood, and hard work.” ” he added.
“The longer you do the sport, the more opportunities you can secure. You have to know what you want and where you want to go in the field of education and sport. In order to get the opportunities We have to fight.”
The athletes were accompanied by head coach Janez Rzepkosgei, the 2007 world 800m champion, and two other coaches.
“The mentorship sessions were important. The children wanted to meet Eliud,” said Jepkosgei. “The team will look at their lives differently. They are motivated and courageous and believe that education and movement can change your life and community, and that It’s an inspiration to them.”
Kipchoge sent a message to his coaches: These athletes need to speak freely to you. You know how to coach, develop and promote talent. ”
Members of the refugee track and field team inspired by meeting coach Eliud Kipchoge (©Michelle Katami)
It was then time for players and coaches to ask Kipchoge a few questions.
“It was a dream come true to meet you. You told us to know ourselves and believe that we can do it. Even though we have trained enough in our careers to date. Have you ever hit a wall with no results and wanted to give up?” asked Jules.
Kipchoge replied: “The moment you act, you have gone through hardships that people don’t know about. I have been through a lot, but I keep moving forward. I know how to deal with success when it comes. To know, you have to experience pain and frustration.”
He was also asked, “How do you feel when you line up with other champions like (Kenenisa) Bekele?”
Kipchoge replied, “Treat yourself like the best player you can be.” “At the beginning, tell yourself that you have been practicing better than others, and during the exam, tell yourself that you have studied more than others. Compete with yourself.”
Kipchoge’s impressive 22-year track and field career spanned between the ages of 17 and 21, making him older than the refugee athletes he coached. By sharing his story, Kipchoge reminded everyone that despite his athletics victories, he has overcome hardships and emotional turmoil.
“He gave me and the team a lot of advice, like you have to respect yourself, your coaches, your teachers, your teammates. We have also gone through tough times in life, but we are holding on,” said Nakan, who will be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kipchoge takes mentorship seriously. In 2023, he became a mentor for the U20 World Athletics Refugee Team. Through this role, Kipchoge inspires the next generation.
“I treat U20 athletes as the next generation,” he said. “What I want to encourage them to do is run over the next 20 years, beyond 2045, in the future to promote the sport, to compete for their country, to love sport, to promote education, to promote their country I want it to bring development and exposure.”
The 39-year-old, who holds five of the 11 fastest marathon times in history, is a big believer in the World Track and Field Athlete Refugee Team program, which has been running since 2016.
“That’s a positive. It’s a solid positive decision by World Athletics,” he said. “Keep this project going and let it flow. These are the flowers of the World Athletics Championships, they are injecting into refugee athletes in the form of funding and infrastructure, and they believe this is what they are doing. It showed that it is a true flower.”
Michelle Katami of World Athletics
