A Champion is born-His true story

Name:Samuel Kamau Wanjiru
Born:10-11-1986

KAMAU`S BIRTH AND EDUCATION BACKGROUND

Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was born in Olkalau Division,Nyandarua North District on the 10th of November 1986. His single mother Hannah Wanjiru had two sons, Samuel Kamau and Simon Njoroge. From this humble background Samuel Kamau Wanjiru started his primary school education at Githunguri Primary School, 30km from Nyahururu town. Wanjiru participated in internal games and realized his athletic talent in 1994 when he was only eight years old and in standard three. Wanjiru`s education was characterized by abject poverty since his single mother Hannah Wanjiru could not afford shoes, lunch,books and to crown it all school fees which saw Kamau drop out of school in standard seven. He started training at home but was unable to concentrate and so he joined MFAE athletics club. In order to fully concentrate on his athletics, Samuel decided to train away away from home. In the year 2000 he participated in the Kenya National Primary Athletics Championships in Kisumu town in Western Kenya. He finished 3rd in the 10,000m. The meeting was attended by a couple of coaches who also noted Samuel`s potential. However, these coaches were unable to pay for his upkeep leaving Samuel in a dilemma. He was in a limbo situation,not knowing where to turn.

As Samuel continued to stay with his mother in abject poverty he remembered whilst in Kisumu he had met some athletes who train in Nyeri at Mt.Kenya High Altitude Training Camp under mentor Stephen Ndungu. He expressed his wish to join the camp [if given permission by his family]. According to kikuyu culture, a single mother is not allowed to make a sole decision regarding her children, she therefore consulted her brother John Mwihia [Samuel`s uncle]. They all agreed to travel to the Nyeri camp [a distance of about 100km] to see mentor Stephen Ndungu and hand over Samuel Kamau to him [if he agreed]. On their way to Nyeri, Samuel`s uncle Mwihia dug deep in his pockets and bought 1kg each of sugar and rice. This is because in Kikuyu culture it is not right to pay a visit empty handed.
They arrived at Ndungu`s home and after their discussion Samuel was left in the Camp. Whilst here he trained very well and won several races [local races, Nyeri district cross country and other road races]. Due to his good performances Samuel Kamau became a hero in Nyeri, his mentor Stephen Ndungu started to look for a sponsor to enable Samuel pursue his athletic career abroad. In 2002 Ndungu spoke to Japanese athletic promoter Mr. Sunnichi Kobayashi who is based in Kenya.
Samuel went to Nairobi where they began the process of organising his travel documents. He left for Japan in march 2002 and joined Sendai Ekuei Gakuen High School in Sendai city where he studied the Japanese language and the culture for 3 years. In the same year he led his school to a 6th place finish in the Japan National High School Ekiden Championships. He won the first leg of the race [10km], coming across the line in 28:55. In 2003,Sendai Ikuei won the National High School Ekiden Championships and set a new meet record time [2:02:07]. Samuel Wanjiru again ran the first leg of the race, clocking 28:04 for the 10km distance. In 2004, Samuel`s third and final year in Sendai Ekuei High School, he ran the 3rd leg [8.1075km] in the National High School Ekiden Championships. His time of 22:40 was a new record for the 3rd leg. Sendai Ikuei went on to defend its title and set another new meet record of 2:01:32.

ACHIEVEMENTS

In 2004 he finished his studies and gained employment with Toyota Motor Corporation in Kyushu Japan. On the 11th September 2005 he broke the World Half Marathon record during the Rotterdam Half Marathon [in the Netherlands] in 59:16. This record was later broken by Haile Gebreselassie on the 15th January 2006 during the Rock n` Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix [USA] in 58:55. While in Kenya he trains in Nyahururu and Ngong with his training group of young and upcoming athletes. Samuel was inspired by John Ngugi the first man to win five world cross country titles and also 1988 Seoul Olympics 5000 Metres gold medalist.

PERSONAL BESTS

1500 metres-3:50:28-Nagasaki-30-7-2003
5000 metres-13:12:40-Hiroshima-29-4-2005
10,000 metres-26:41:75-Brussels-26-8-2005
10 kilometres-27:27-Den Haag-17-3-2007
15 kilometres-41:29-Ras Al Khaimah-9-2-2007
20 kilometres-55:31-Den Haag-17-3-2007
Half Marathon-58:33-Den Haag-17-3-2007
25 kilometres-1:13:41-Chicago-11-10-09
30 kilometres-1:28:30-London-13-4-2008
Marathon-2:05:10-London-26-4-2009

On 9th September 2007 in United Arab Emirates ,he again broke the World Half Marathon record in Ras Khaimah International Half Marathon running 58:53. On 17th March 2007 in Hague The Netherlands he bettered his own World Record of 58:53 during the Fortis City-Pier-City Half Marathon. He also broke the 20km World Record on route with 55:31. His new Half Marathon Record stands at 58:35. At an age of 23 Years Samuel Kamau Wanjiru who is only 1.63ft and weighs 52kg has acieved part of what seemed impossible in his life, Samuel is coached by a Japanese coach Mr.Koichi Morisaita,managed by Dr.Federico Rosa and mentored by Stephen Ndungu,finest pace maker [King Maker],marathon runner and the founder of Mt.Kenya High Altitude Training Camp where Samuel and other great athletes from Central Kenya were blend.

Samuel has also established himself as a accomplished Marathon runner. His debut marathon was in Fukuoka marathon on 2nd December 2007. Samuel stormed to victory, breaking Haile Gebrselassie`s course record in a time of 2:06:39. Samuel`s second marathon was even more impressive, with a second place in the London Marathon in a time of 2:05:24, breaking the old course record [and previous World record mark].

BEIJING OLYMPICS-2008. SAMUEL KAMAU WANJIRU BECOMES THE NEW OLYMPIC MARATHON CHAMPION,OLYMPIC MARATHON RECORD HOLDER AND THE FIRST KENYAN EVER TO ATTAIN GOLD IN AN OLYMPIC MARATHON GOLD!

The Beijing Olympic games was a success story for Kenyan athletes. Samuel Kamau Wanjiru became the first Kenyan to win gold in marathon,the only athlete who was close to winning it was Douglas Wakiihuri in the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics [20 years ago]. Samuel was just two years old! Wakiihuri took silver while gold was won by Gerlindo Bordin of Italy. Samuel also broke the 24 years old, Olympic Marathon [previously at 2:09:21], a record set be Carlos Alberto Lopes of Portugal in the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. On 26th April 2009 Olympic champion Samuel Wanjiru broke Martin Lel`s one year old course record to win the 2009 Flora London Marathon in a personal best of 2:05:10 after gripping battle with Ethiopia`s Tsegaye Kebede.

On 11th October 2009 he won the 23nd Bank of America Chicago Marathon and eclipsed Khalid Khannouchi`s 1999 course record of 2:05:42 by one second to finish officially in 2:05:41. He claimed the $75,000 prize purse for overall winner and took home an additional $100,000 for breaking the course record, his time is the fastest time recorded on American soil. And to crown it all he was declared 2008-2009 World Marathon Major[WMM] winner and pocketed $500,000 jackpot,he is the youngest runner with three WORLD MARATHON MAJORS VICTORIES, In Beijing,London and Chicago. Samuel`s next target is to break Haile Gebrselassie`s world marathon record of 2:03:59,which Haile set in the Berlin marathon on the 28th September 2008. He could have broken it in Chicago, but the pace makers were too slow for him. He was the ambassador for 7th UAP Ndakaini Half Marathon which was held on 18th Sept.2010,he featured in the fun run to motivate children looking up to emulate his success in distance running. Speaking at the same function, Olympic marathon champion, Said, " Athletes should come out to support such events that prove you do not have to run abroad to make money. Nowdays, sport is business and fellow youth should focus on it since it is not a must that one must be employed at an office to make a living ". On 10th October 2010 he won the 24th Bank of America Chicago Marathon, he battled Ethiopia`s Tsegaye Kebede nearly until the race`s 400 metre straight away before claiming victory by 19 seconds in 2:06:24. He pocketed $115,000 USD in prize money and time bonus money. " You have to think, " You go to war, you are fighting " . Said Samuel Wanjiru. On 8th November 2010 in New York city he was crowned the champion of 2009-2010 World Marathon Major series , and he was presented with $500,000 USD. He accumulated 75 points over two years seiries with a win at the 2009 Virgin London Marathon and back-to-back victories at the 2008-2009 World Marathon Majors series. He secured the 2009-2010 WMM series win with a thrilling victory over Ethiopia Tsegaye Kebede at the Chicago Marathon on 10th October 2010. " Last year I promised i would be back here to defend my World Marathon Major title and I`m proud to have fulfilled that promise" . " Being the Olympic marathon champion is a dream for everyone, but to win the World Marathon Majors series means that you have to be strong and consistent over two years and I`m happy to have achieved this honor twice ". Said the reigning Olympic marathon champion.
Samuel has already set his eyes on London 2012 Olympic Marathon where he hopes to repeat his winning formula from Beijing.

MISSION

To nurture his vision of helping young and poor youths,Samuel Wanjiru has visited many children homes in Kenya and paricularly in his home town[e.g Heaven Eyes Children Home and Kumbuka Watoto Children Home] ,paying secondary school fees for some children.And working with charities like WaterAid [www.wateraid.org] which are doing great work in Kenya. When he broke the World record in Ras Khaimah, he donated the $25,000 bonus to the children`s home where his mother works in Nyahururu.
Samuel has confirmed that he will continue more poor children to realise their talent and encourage them not to lose hope everybody has potential.

RUFUS K.N.