Kenya - where dreams become reality

Every athlete has a goal. However, the motives behind each individual sportsman and woman dedicating such large quantities of their lives to sporting pursuits vary enormously. Whether it be in search of fame, money, a sense of achievement or weight loss, millions of individuals all over the world choose to push their mind, body and souls to the limit in search of their ultimate goal.

Having spent five of the past seven months training at altitude in Iten, Kenya in pursuit of my personal goals, it has become clear to me that these reasons and motives not only vary depending on the individual but also derive from the athlete’s country of origin.

A question I am often asked is why do so many Kenyans opt to pursue a career in athletics?

Kenyans see athletics as the fastest and, in some cases, only vehicle to a better life. ‘Making it’ takes on a whole different meaning to a Kenyan athlete. Starting out as a competitive athlete in the UK, aged 9, I wanted to win, have fun and do my parents proud. In Kenya it can be a matter of life or death. For this reason it is not surprising that without fail, 3 times each day you will see large groups of athletes stampeding along the red dirt roads of Iten, trying to run their way to a better life. They see the financial success all around that can be achieved through running and in particular marathon running. They see big cars, land and the status which their neighbours have achieved. They say to themselves ‘I am Kenyan, I can do this too’. One race can set you up for life.

Kenya and its people continue to teach me that in order to achieve your goals you need to push yourself to new limits – but crucially, to also train smart in order to avoid injury. Finding this balance is key and it is something which many of the athletes I have met place a paramount level of importance on. It truly is a special country and a place which can help turn your dreams into realistic, concrete aims.