NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 11 – Trans Nzoia’s Emmanuel Wafula says he wants to repay his mother with a gold medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase at next month’s World Under 20 Championship in Cali, Colombia.
Wafula said his mother, Elizabeth Perio, a former athlete herself, has been supportive of his athletics career thus far and wants to make her smile with an excellent performance at the championship.
“Out of the whole family, she is the only other athlete although she didn’t go far in her career. I thank her so much because, alongside my father, they have given me their blessing and encouraged me to keep working hard. Even before I competed at the national trials for the Under 20 Championships, they had prayed for me and told me to trust in God,” Wafula said.
He added: “I promise them – as well as all those who have supported me – that I will work hard in Cali to come back home with gold medal. I have prepared for these championships as far back as the onset of the Covid-19 period and although I failed to make it at last year’s trials, I did not lose heart.”
Wafula, a Form Three student at Chesito Secondary School in Mount Elgon, further credited the school’s principal, Daniel Mamboleo, for affording him as much time as possible to train.
“He has been very understanding and supportive of my career and this has helped me to grow my craft. There is also my coach, Siwa Kipchoge, who is also my mentor as he was the one who encouraged me to take up the steeplechase when I transitioned into high school. I owe a lot to the two and want to make them proud as well for the trust they have put in me,” he said.
The junior athlete earned his place on the plane to Colombia when he timed 8:32.09 to clinch the men’s 3000m steeplechase during the national trials at Nyayo National Stadium.
There is more work to be done, though, for Wafula who bemoans the various challenges encountered in his training.
“As you see me right now, I do not have a manager and yet I need one if I am to go far. Also, I would like to appeal to the Bungoma County government to consider finishing work on the high altitude camp that was being established in the region. It would help quite a lot of us as far as training is concerned,” he said.
