Kenya is known for its athletes. Every marathon has Kenyans bagging several medals. This has made the Kenyan flag be raised higher when it comes to athletics. One of the faces that has become popular in major world marathons is Amos Kipruto. Amos Kipruto has been in the Kenyan athletics news for some time now, and he is also likely to continue appearing in the near future in headlines.
Amos Kipruto is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He was born here in Kenya in the year 1992. His first win came in the year 2016 when he won the Rome Marathon, but this was the reflection of the dream that he had always had since he was young. Growing up, he had wanted to be an athlete. All his life has been about walking toward that dream.
From a recent interview, he said, “The journey of running began when I was very young in Primary School and in High School. I decided to focus on running after high school.
His journey in athletics has illustrated zealousness and consistent hard work. All through, his wins have been exceptional and getting better by the day. He is popularly known for coming closer to Kipchoge’s record when he won the 2021 Tokyo marathon in 2:03:13. His latest win is the London 2022 marathon which he won in 2:04:39.
How Amos Kept His Dream Alive
Having a dream was not everything. There had to be some events thereafter to keep the dream alive. For Amos Kipruto, keeping the dream alive involved keeping his eyes on the people that had walked the athletics journey. It was all about looking at their work ethic, an activity that kept his dream alive and inspired him.
In a recent interview after the London Marathon, he said, “I was used to watching people run especially the late Samuel Wanjiru and one funny thing is that my current coach used to work with Samuel also.”
Fueled by challenges growing up
Apart from the dream he had, he had challenges while growing up that fueled him to work hard towards becoming the great athlete that we know today. Financial challenges led to him lacking school fees in high school, something that motivated him to push himself in athletics. The lack of high school fees meant that proceeding to higher levels of education could have posed even higher challenges, but with his talent, the future was bright.
His Commitment to The Dream
Looking at Amos’ commitment to his athletic dream illustrates his commitment to staying at the top of his game. To him, attending races involves giving one’s all. He trains in and out of season to ensure that he is ready when the actual time for a race comes.
Looking at this might sound like an obvious thing in the world of athletics. However, one must admit that different people put different levels of commitment and effort into what they do. Despite challenges that came his way, Amos has always pushed himself to ensure that he is up and ready for the next big task.
This excellent preparation has given him flexibility when it comes to racing. “I was ready even if they were to inject a pace of 2:10 or 2:20 in a kilometre or a slow race. I had worked on my finishing power in the last kilometres,” he said this in a recent interview with The African.
His Greatness and Working with teams
If one is to walk faster, one then should choose to walk alone. However, to go far, one ought to walk (or run) with a great team. Working with people who provide for a competitive environment keeps one on toes and ensures that one gets better by the day. For the 42nd London marathon winner, working with a great team of coaches and training mates has contributed immensely to his many wins.
Unique Motivation for His Wins
Many things contributed to his latest win in the London Marathon. Like any other athlete, he prepared for the race, giving his best at any training session. However, that was not all. At all times, he watches the athletes he greatly admires and gets motivated by their wins. At this point, he had watched the win of his mentor Kipchoge a week before. That win pushed him to deliver the results we saw. “I was under pressure and at the same time well prepared for any eventuality. I just had to produce something nice after Eliud Kipchoge broke the world record the other Sunday,” he said in an interview immediately after the London marathon win.
He has a legend for a mentor
When one’s mentor is a legend, It will encourage one to be strong and consistent. In this case, Amos Kipruto has Eliud Kipchoge as his mentor and that has kept him motivated to soar even higher. Kipchoge has been winning in major marathon races for a very long time. An indication of how much he has mastered his craft. Having him as a mentor meant that Amos Kipruto too had numerous lessons and strategies on the art of running marathons.
“I always ask him about athletics and he is someone who will always motivate you. He is someone who will tell you if what you are doing is good or bad. One thing that I love about Eliud is his philosophies and his assertiveness when it comes to making choices”
Amos Kipruto is one man to watch out for in coming athletic games. A major win such as his is never by luck. Rather, a lot comes into play starting from aspects such as motivation, and the discipline of constant practice and improvement. His win has some lessons for us. This can offer a reflection to life as a whole, that a win in any venture calls for more than just motivation. Winning calls for work and constant improvement.
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