{"id":3100,"date":"2020-12-04T09:29:25","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T09:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doerlife.com\/?p=3100"},"modified":"2020-12-04T10:15:29","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T10:15:29","slug":"tegla-loroupe-a-celebrated-woman-marathoner-and-activist-from-kenya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebglory.com\/doerlife.com\/tegla-loroupe-a-celebrated-woman-marathoner-and-activist-from-kenya\/","title":{"rendered":"Tegla Loroupe, a Celebrated Woman Marathoner and Activist from Kenya"},"content":{"rendered":"

The celebrated woman marathon runner from Kenya, Tegla Loroupe is an Athlete, Activist, Peace Advocate, and Children’s Advocate. The long-distance track and road runner holds the world records for 25 and 30 kilometres.\u00a0To add to her many credits, Tegla held the record for being the first woman from Africa to win the New York Marathon on April 19, 1998. She has also won marathons in London, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Rome. Tegla represented Kenya at the Olympics in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000.<\/p>\n

Growing Up as ‘Chepkite’, the little one<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Tegla Loroupe was born on May 9, 1973 in the Kapsait village of the Pokot tribe, of northern Kenya. Having a small frame, she grew being called \u2018Chepkite<\/em> – little one\u2019 by her 24 siblings. Her father Losiwa who had four wives and 25 children made the older kids work in the fields, tend to cattle, and look after their younger siblings. Children\u2019s education was not on his agenda.<\/p>\n

Loroupe was allowed to attend Kapsait Elementary school only after her mother and older sister Albina persuaded her father. Since transport was a luxury in her village, she ran every day 9 kilometres to and from school. While this continued she slowly began to race other older children on their way back from school. That\u2019s when Loroupe thought of becoming a runner. Of course, nobody in school or at home would support this decision except her mother.<\/p>\n

Tegla later joined the Rift Valley Technical College to study accounting and auditing.<\/p>\n

In November 2009, President Kibaki presented Tegla an Honorary Doctorate of Science on Peace and Conflict Studies (Honoris Causa) from the Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology.<\/p>\n

Tegla thanks her mother for two sentences that helped her become what she is and stands for today “You can endure pain, so one day you will be the best<\/em>.” and, “If you own property yourself, you are not the property of a man.<\/em>” Both of which she followed to the tee!<\/p>\n

\"Tegla
1994 New York Marathon win. Image credits: Wall Street Journal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get, set, go Tegla Loroupe<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Tegla approached the Kenyan athletics federation, Athletics Kenya, but they turned her away thinking she was too small and too thin to run. But after she won the cross country barefoot race in 1988, Kenya noticed a winner. In the same year, Athletics Kenya came forward to train Tegla Loroupe to compete internationally. At the age of 15, Chepkite entered Kenyan national athletics team. Known to run bare feet since childhood, Tegla earned her first pair of running shoes in 1989, which she later saved up for few rough races. It all began with her getting nominated for the junior race of the 1989 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She finished in 28th<\/sup> position. Again in 1990, she competed for the junior race of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, this time finishing 16th. From then on there was no turning back, the race to excel had begun.<\/p>\n

Tegla earned the distinct record for Marathon wins –<\/p>\n