Qowsaar eventually succeeded in his entry in the Olympic contest.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi grew up in a low-income family in a rural village in western Kenya. His daily challenges were enormous.
He dropped out of school at age 10. He would often spend long hours herding cows. He sometimes made less than two dollars in a month.
Wanyonyi was a young man who had several hurdles. He often didn’t have enough money, which finally forced him to resign from his job. Having been fed and motivated by his mother, he finally decided to enroll in the 800-meter Olympic race.
Wanyonyi told KN Africa that handling livestock poses a big challenge for a child.
I often think about quitting the job and returning to my hometown, remembering the painful life I once left behind; every little penny I earned as salary was sent to my siblings so they had some kind of support to live on. He was born in an 11-children family. Wanyonyi had no option but to drop out of school since his family could not raise the examination fee of thirty cents ($0.30).
Eventually, he went back to school after earning a couple of hundreds of dollars by herding cattle, which later developed his passion for athletics.
His father, who worked at a dam, died abruptly and for no apparent reason in 2018.
Wanyonyi, who is now aged 20, said that “his death kept me out of school, and the money he made that day was used in buying me running shoes.” The young boy also revealed that the father looked very tired, still remembering the scars on the head. Wanyonyi told Kenya’s Daily Nation that without an inquest, his family could not identify the actual cause of his father’s death.
That was the most very horrible day of my life. It not only hurt, but another burden also fell onto my shoulders to become bread-earner for the family instantly.
He continued running after his father died in order to support his family. And people were wondering because in his area, there were no known athletes.
Margaret Nasimiyu, mother to Wanyonyi, said: “When he first started running, people laughed at him and made fun of him.”
“I cried and was saddened, but my son told me, ‘Mother, don’t cry, one day I will buy you land, you will have a better life.'”
It seemed like a fantasy, but God was with him,” she said.
When Wanyonyi returned to school, he had no proper shoes for running.
Although I have shoes, I would run; but since I don’t, I’ve run without.”
The challenges he faced in his early years allowed Wanyonyi to overcome hurdles and made his psychology even stronger.
His talent was noted by his teachers and he was involved in competitions in various areas of Kenya.
Though he was never formally trained, his great speed and stamina allowed him to achieve back-to-back victories in no time.
Wanyonyi coach, Claudio Berardelli, labelled him a man of special talent.
His Italian coach, who told BBC Africa in an interview, “He had endurance and speed.”
During his involvement in the Olympic Games, he won a gold medal with an excellent timing of 40.91 seconds, which motivated him even more towards his goals. He focused all his attention on breaking the world record for the 800-meter race set by David Rudisha, who ran this time at the 2012 London Olympics.
According to his coach, Berardelli, he possesses the capability to advance himself even as his peers lag behind.
The modern sports techniques, including the running shoes and the track conditions, helped Wanyonyi achieve his goals.
He exhibits a remarkable lack of fear, attributable to his past experiences; despite facing challenging situations, he consistently maintains an air of hope.” It was also a way, for Wanyonyi, to leave behind a legacy and not so much about setting a new world record. His success allowed him to raise the standard of living for his family. He built a three-bedroom house for his mother and siblings. He also sponsored the education of the fourth child in the family. “I want to do for my children what my father did for us,” he said. The Wanyonyi family depends on his determination, as he gears up for the 2025 games. Wanyonyi explained that thinking about his family’s past gives him strength. He said that he cannot sleep or get some rest, adding more to his wish for his family to have a better life.
