I ghosted him: Amutavi reminisces meeting Omanyala and early struggles

They say that behind every successful man, there is a woman.

For Laventa Amutavi, she is the rock behind Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala. She has walked beside him, fought battles alongside him, and built her own legacy while at it.

On this year's International Women’s Day, Mozzart Sport caught up with her on her journey from a reluctant young athlete to a resilient woman who has defied the odds.

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Throughout her journey, she has proven that strength, sacrifice, and ambition are the true markers of success.

Amutavi’s journey in athletics began almost by accident.

“My teacher forced me to compete in Class Eight, and I won,” she laughed.

That first taste of victory planted a seed, but it was not until high school that she started taking the sport seriously, inspired by her dorm mother, Vivian Chemuti, who was an athlete herself.

At first, it was not the love for running that pushed her forward but the chance to escape school life.

“I took running seriously because it meant more outings, and I hated staying in school,” she admitted.

After high school, she dabbled in modeling but soon returned to her first love, athletics. When she joined Moi University in 2013, winning medals meant winning money, so she kept competing.

Her first big break came in 2017 when she represented her university at the World University Games in Taipei. Though she was eliminated in the heats, the experience opened her eyes to the possibilities that sports could offer.

Meeting Omanyala

The first time Amutavi saw Omanyala, she was not impressed. They met during the University games at the University of Eldoret.

“I saw him warming up at a university athletics event and thought, ‘These are just attention seekers.’ Then he won. Still, that did not impress me,” she recalled.

Omanyala asked for her number, but she was not sold, so she took his instead and never texted.

Fate had other plans. They met again at the 2016 East Africa University Games, where he confronted her about the ghosting. Feeling guilty, she finally sent that text. What started as a simple message soon became a bond that would be tested by life’s toughest challenges.

In 2017, during her long holiday, Amutavi started training with Omanyala at the University of Nairobi. Life seemed to be falling into place until she found out she was pregnant in her final year of university.

“I felt like my life was crumbling. We were both students, but we decided to keep the baby. We started saving, even though we had little,” she admitted.

Their struggles were real. At one point, they were so broke that they entered their son in a diaper brand contest.

“He won third place, and we got Ksh100,000. That paid our rent for seven months,” she laughed.

When their son was six months old, she sought employment, and the two had to juggle parenting duties.

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"I requested to be on the night shift at work. Ferdie, as she refers to her fiancé, used to go to school and train in the daytime. When he came back in the evening, he took over taking care of our son," she offered.

To better take care of her family, she decided to get a second job. She could train for a short time in the evening and then rush to her night job.

"My colleagues in the night job used to wonder why I looked so tired. I was doing it for my family," she said. "When I got my job, I made it clear to them that I am an athlete, and I am glad that they allowed me to leave earlier than the rest."

2021 was the turning point. Omanyala started clocking sub-10 seconds, and suddenly, doors started opening. His first major cheque of Ksh500,000 was a lifeline. They invested in a barbershop and started building their future.

Amutavi, however, had put her dreams on hold. She would later quit her job to focus on her family, business, and training. When she finally returned to training in 2022, it was anything but easy.

“I suffered shin splints, then a knee injury in 2023 through to 2024. I was afraid of surgery but opted for rehab,” she recalled.

Her resilience is paying off.

Last week, she finished fourth at the Athletics Kenya (AK) Track and Field meet, a sign that her comeback is just beginning.

For many, she is simply Omanyala’s wife, but Amutavi refuses to be defined by that title alone.

“Many just see the glory, but to me, he’s more than that champion. He is the father of my kids, my friend, and my partner of almost 10 years. I don’t feel pressure to be his wife. I have my journey. I fell in love with his ambition, but I also have my own goals,” she asserted.

Her biggest role in Omanyala’s success? Providing the emotional and mental stability that allows him to thrive.

“My job is to make sure our home is a stable place for all of us,” she opined.

Women in sports still fight for their place, and Amutavi wants that to change.

“Women’s sports have grown, but we still need to change the African mindset. Women can do more than just give birth and take care of the home,” she revealed.

On this special day, Amutavi celebrates the resilience of women.

“We can be mothers, wives, and athletes, and do it all. Success isn’t just about medals. It’s being better than you were yesterday,” she said.

Her message to young women? “If you have a talent, exploit it. Use social media, network, and think big.”