Late for the Olympics: The Amazing Story of Kipchoge Keino

TL;DR

Kipchoge Keino, a Kenyan athlete, overcame immense adversity, including gallstones and almost missing his race, to win gold medals in the Olympics.

Transcript

Kipchoge Keino, aka Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino or (thankfully in the interest of avoiding typos) just Kip, is a retired athlete who ran for the country of Kenya. Throughout his career, Kip earned almost a dozen medals, half of which were gold, for being an amazing middle to long distance runner. The story we want to share is the time Kip was almost la... Read More

Key Insights

• 😀 Kipchoge Keino's childhood involved extreme determination and perseverance, running 16 miles barefoot every day to get to school.
• 💦 He initially worked as a physical training instructor before becoming a successful competitive athlete.
• 🏅 Keino's gallstones caused immense pain during the 1968 Olympics, but he still managed to finish races and win medals.
• 🏅 Despite almost missing the 1500M race, Keino won a gold medal, outpacing the second-place runner by 20 meters.
• 🏃 Keino's victory in the 1500M race was even more impressive considering he was running with a constant stabbing pain and had just run two miles in sweltering heat.
• 🏃 After his athletic career, Keino dedicated himself to humanitarian work, running a charity for orphans and helping establish schools in Kenya.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Kipchoge Keino start his running journey?

Kipchoge Keino started running as a child, running 16 miles barefoot every day to get to school.

Q: What physical ailment did Keino suffer from during the 1968 Olympics?

Keino suffered from crippling gallstones during the 1968 Olympics, causing him intense pain while running.

Q: How did Keino manage to finish the 10,000M race despite collapsing on the track?

Even after collapsing, Keino got back up and finished the race, although he had already disqualified himself by stepping off the track.

Q: How did Keino manage to win a gold medal in the 1500M race despite almost missing it?

Keino woke up late on the day of the 1500M race but ran two miles to the Olympic stadium, arrived just in time, and won the gold medal.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kipchoge Keino ran 16 miles barefoot every day as a child just to get to school.

• He initially worked as a physical training instructor for the Kenyan police force before becoming a competitive athlete.

• Despite suffering from crippling gallstones, Keino finished the 10,000M race in the 1968 Olympics and went on to win a silver medal in the 5000M race.