800m Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi opens up on his struggles growing up

800M Olympic Champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi has been one of the success stories in athletics and is currently at the top of his game.

However, the journey to success has not been as smooth as some may think. It has been a rough path, with the odds stacked against him, but he persevered.

In an interview with NTV’s Sport On, he opened up about the challenges he faced growing up in rural Trans Nzoia County and his struggles with formal education.

Coming from a family of 11 children, life was difficult. His elder siblings often dropped out of school during their early primary years. Wanyonyi had to enroll himself in class one, having skipped pre-school entirely.

“I just saw others going to school and decided to take myself to class one in 2011 after borrowing a school uniform because I felt I was of age,” he said.

Wanyonyi explained that due to his family circumstances, his parents didn’t follow up on his schooling, which made things even more difficult. By 2013, life and education had become unbearable, and he dropped out of school in search of work as a herdsman to help make ends meet.

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“In class 3, I realized things weren’t working out due to family struggles, so I dropped out of school and went to homes in Kitale to ask for herding jobs."

He eventually found one, where he earned Ksh. 350 per month. After a month, he returned home without anyone questioning where he had been. He later got another herding job paying Ksh. 200, and eventually one that paid Ksh. 1,000.

But even herding wasn’t easy. Despite the meagre earnings, some employers wouldn’t pay him at all.

With the little money he earned, Wanyonyi had to sustain himself and also support his family. He recalls how his mother would buy household goods on credit, telling the shopkeeper her son would pay.

At times, the debts owed to the shops exceeded his earnings, trapping him in a cycle of debt.

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Fate intervened in 2017, marking a turning point for the future World U20 Champion when he began training as an athlete.

“Around 2017, a friend of mine named Kibe, who was an athlete, left his shoes behind. I asked for one, not knowing they were running shoes. He gave me one and a pair of shorts. After explaining their use, I asked to join him for training, and that’s how I started,” he explained.

The then-20-year-old found training tough and painful, especially in the early days, but he was determined to continue, knowing it was his best hope for a better life.

“I used to train in a neighbouring school during game time. In 2018, I asked if I could represent the school in athletics, and the teachers agreed—on the condition that I re-enroll as a student.”

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He initially rejected the offer but managed to convince the teachers to let him compete in athletics. He performed well and advanced to regionals, which forced him to return to school as a student. Wanyonyi couldn’t return to class 3, where he had left off, as he was much older than his peers.

“I joined class 7 after borrowing a school uniform. It was a struggle because I was starting everything from scratch. My friends mocked me because I couldn’t read and they thought I would finish last. Fortunately, I didn’t,” he said.

He stayed in school and completed his primary education in 2019, making the most of his second chance.

Now the fruits of his labor are sweet, and his future is promising. He can now ensure that his younger siblings do not face the same struggles he did.

“Athletics has been a blessing to me. I can now comfortably ensure that my siblings go to school,” he said.

At only 20 years old, with the world of athletics ahead of him, Wanyonyi is working hard to follow in the footsteps of David Rudisha, aiming to win medals and break records in the 800 meters.

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