FROM NOMADIC PASTORAL BACKGROUND, TO FIRST AFRICAN NEW YORK CITY MARATHON CHAMPION, TO GLOBAL SPOKESPERSON FOR PEACE, TEGLA LOROUPE: A STORY OF COURAGE

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."- Chris Bradford.

This quote came to my mind when I picked up pen to write about Tegla, a resilience tigress, a powerhouse in the world of Marathon, I mean she would've given up,  it was truly a choice for her then, but not Tegla, she refused to take the short way out, she persisted, today, she is one woman to reckon with. So who is Tegla Loroupe and what put her in the line of our top inspirational women?

 Tegla Loroupe is a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner. Born May 9, 1973, in Kutomwony, West Pokot District of Kenya, a marginalised nomadic poor community, situated in the Rift Valley, north of Nairobi. Tegla spent her childhood working fields, tending cattle and looking after her 24 younger siblings. At age seven she started going to school, her school was about 10 kilometres away from home so she would run to and from school every morning, this she did barefooted, young Loroupe did not know that she was building a career until she took part in their intra-school race competition.

The school early races were normally held over a distance of 800 to 1500 metres and students from each school class would come out and compete among themselves on barefoot. Tegla took part and won. It was there that Tegla's talent for running was first spotted. She was good. With this, she discovered that she can build a career as a runner, but coming from a society where women duties are looking after younger ones and keeping home, she received no support from anyone aside her mother and older sister, her father's view was that running is not ladylike. Loroupe was torned apart, by this time she was tired of men, and even considered becoming a nun but she was able to overcome the temptation of quitting and persisted.

When Loroupe wanted to run at National level, she was considered too frail by Kenyan athletics federation, though acknowledged her frail nature but it too not deter her. However, after winning a prestigious cross country race in 1988, the athletics federation changed their view about her and she was nominated to run for the junior world championships, at first attempt in 1989, she finished 28th, then in 1990, she competed again and, she came 16th.

In 1994, Tegla ran her first New York Marathon and won making her the first African woman to win the New York Marathon. This became a major breakthrough for Tegla, which saw her become an important sporting role model. She later went to win again the New York Marathon in 1995 and finished 3rd in 1998.

Then between 1997 and 1999, and three times in a row, Tegla won World Half-Marathon. Same period, she won Rotterdam Marathon also three times in a row, 1997, 98 and 99. She won Berlin Marathon in 1999 and finished second in 2011, from this point, she has become unstoppable, and went ahead to win different Marathon championships, setting records.

GIVING BACK TO THE SOCIETY

In 2003, Tegla established Tegla Loroupe Foundation, which mission is, "to improve peace building, livelihoods and resilience of poor people affected by and vulnerable to conflicts and civil strife in the world."

Through her Foundation, she created an annual series of 'Peace Marathon,' 'Peace through Sports' where she would invite Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ambassadors, and government officials to run with warriors and nomadic groups in her native Kenya, in Uganda and in Sudan, to bring peace to an area plagued by raiding warriors from battling tribes.

In 2010, the Kenyan Government lauded her achievements as hundreds of warriors had laid down their weapons.

According to her, because she was always called upon by her people whenever there was crisis and they are looking for assistance, they would call on her and she though in Europe, would come down to offer assistance, using her influence. This made her realize that she has something special in her that she can offer her community that they want to get from her, so she came home and indulge the Government, to work with her.

Tegla believes that people don't just fight because they don't like each other, to her, it's stereotype; people fight because they want to be heard, they want Government or anybody to listen to them; people fight because they cannot access education, and so have nothing of use to channel their energy and they have to survive. She believes that if they can get education, they will have a choice to a better life.

So to foster education in her native land, Tegla established a school(Tegla Loroupe Peace Academy) and orphanage for children from the region in Kapenguria, in north-west Kenya.

In February 2007, Tegla was named Oxfam Ambassador of sports and peace to Dafur, just months after she travelled with George Clooney, Joey Cheek, and Don Cheadle to Beijing, Cairo, and New York City on a diplomatic mission to bring an end to violence in Darfur. Loroupe also joined 'Champions for Peace' club. The club was created by Monaco based international organisation 'Peace and Sport.' It consist of 54 elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport.

Her humanitarian work has gained her many honours and accolades, like in 2007 also, she won the 'Community Hero' in the category of 2007, Kenyan Sports Personality of the year awards. In 2011, the International Olympic Committee(IOC), honoured her with Women and Sports award in recognition of her humanitarian works across Africa, e.t.c.

All these are as a result of courage, determination and persistence. From a village runner and a nobody to a global spokesperson for peace and a renowned Marathon Champion

When asked if being a top athlete account for her success, she has this to say, "It is more than success in competing. Many people can win races. It is drawing on the character developed by competing in sport---persistence through failure, overcoming pain, taking the long view, powerful hope, independence, being truthful with yourself--those character traits developed through sport are what helped me in my work for peace." What more can I say, she has said it all.

LESSON: Persistent, Courage and Determination are key ingredients to success. There is honour, dignity and self-satisfaction in giving back to the society, and no matter the field you are in, there's always something in it that you can use to impact lives, and always return to your root.