Athletics Kenya (AK) has nominated
two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge for the position of Athlete
Representative at the National Olympic committee of Kenya (NOCK).
Kipchoge is one of the top elite
athletes in Kenya with a span of over two decades. He has been to five Olympic
Games, the most of any Kenyan in history, winning four medals – two of them
marathon gold from the 2016 and 2020 Games.
Beyond the Olympics, Kipchoge
has been a great ambassador of Kenyan athletics, flying the country’s flag high
on the track, cross country and road races around the world and achieving
numerous accolades over the years. Kipchoge’s dedication, perseverance, and
sportsmanship have made him a role model for aspiring athletes not just in
Kenya but globally.
According to the press release by AK “Eliud Kipchoge is not just an
incredible athlete, he is a beacon of athletics in our country and that is why
we were honoured to nominate him for the position,” Athletics Kenya president
Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jack Tuwei said.
“His achievements, from his early success in track to becoming the only
person to run a marathon in under two hours, are a testament to his discipline
and unwavering commitment.” “Beyond the sport, his efforts to enhance education
through the establishment of a library and being an ambassador demonstrate his
desire to contribute to the greater good in society. We believe this holistic
approach makes him an ideal candidate for the athlete representative role”
Kipchoge has demonstrated a deep
commitment to athlete welfare, education and advocacy for clean sport, through
different avenues and such commitment combined with an understanding of the
challenges sports men and women face places him as a strong candidate to
advocate for athletes’ rights within the National Olympic committee of
Kenya.
“I want to
include every athlete in every federation for his or her own voice or to be
heard in matters education, in matters empowerment, in matters holistic
living,” said Eliud Kipchoge.
“I think this
the right time, because I've been in sport for more than 20 years, and I need
to give back to sport.”
While reflecting
on his journey Kipchoge also underlined the crucial role federations play in
proving a platform for athletes to succeed saying, “I come from athletics,
Kenya and Athletics Kenya has been the best system to expose my career and to
expose the careers of other people. I want to tell all other federations to
emulate what Athletics Kenya has been doing in exposing athlete careers.”