When it comes to athletics, talking of the greatest athletes to ever grace the sport precisely in the Marathon arena, one name precedes the athlete. It is Eliud Kipchoge.
With a longevity of two decades, Eliud Kipchoge has cemented himself in the history books by what he has accomplished.
Being a true embodiment of a man of few words, a hard worker, humble, and a soul that values teamwork more than anything else, Kipchoge truly lives the bill of “No Human Is LIMITED!”
Hello, and welcome back to my story book, today we will look at what has made Kipchoge what he is today.
Born on November 5, 1984, in Kapsisiywa- Nandi County, Eliud Kipchoge has inspired many seasoned athletes, upcoming athletes and people from all walks of life due to his standards and lifestyle.
1. HARD WORK
Echoing famous Kipchoge’s words, “To be successful in sports is not by chance, it is by choice. If you want to be successful, you need to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go, and why you want to get there.”
“My famous writer is Paulo Coelho, he inspires me with this quote,” If you want to be successful, you must respect one rule, and that rule is ‘NEVER LIE TO YOURSELF’
“It is a big sacrifice, and when you know you want to work well, to inspire or get a big success, then you need to sacrifice yourself. Success comes with sacrifice. You sacrifice more, you get more success, you sacrifice little, and you get little success.” Quotes derived from an interview with TCS London Marathon.
It is without a doubt, Kipchoge has achieved all the accolades due to hard work and sacrifice.
2. TEAMWORK
Another key factor to Kipchoge’s philosophy is the need to train and work as a team rather than individual training.
“Sport is a mutual interest. The more you train with people the more you get fitter than when you train by yourself. In training teamwork is the most important ingredient for success. The moment you train and live together, you live a happy life.”
“We help each other, the moment you have a lot of energy and somebody else has a small amount of energy, you can push each other. At the end of the day, all of you have achieved some more than what you could have achieved when you are alone.”
“Without my teammates, I cannot run well, without them, I could not break my World Records. Here in our camp, we normally say one percent of the whole team is more important than 100 percent of yourself. That’s teamwork and without teamwork then you cannot go anywhere.”
“I trust in the future, maybe the marathon will be a team event. Maybe in ten years, the Marathon will be like cycling. It will be like Formula 1. So I think at that time the sport will be really interesting.” Quotes derived from an interview with TCS London Marathon.
3. HUMILITY
How he lives despite his net worth, and how he carries himself in the limelight despite his popularity is the most fascinating thing I have ever come across.
“I like normal life and silent life. I trust it is the only life to move and go around.” Quoted from Globe Traktion Podcast.
4. HIS TRAINING COACH- MENTOR
Looking back at the honors that Kipchoge has accrued, there has been one unsung hero. Kipchoge’s training coach Patrick Sang. Kipchoge’s secret weapon.
“My coach has been my mentor, he is always there for me pushing me beyond the limit.” Quoted from Globe Traktion Podcast.
5. HIS WIFE- GRACE SUGUT KIPCHOGE
Behind every successful athlete, there is a coach or a role model who they emulate. Well, apart from his coach Patrick Sang who guides him through training and competition, there is Grace Sugut who has seen him grow from a village boy to a world champion. She has been with him for two decades.
“I support him, I pray for him all the time and then I make sure that he is always happy, and ready to go out,” Sugut says in an interview with Citizen TV.
“She is the manager of the house, she takes care of our farm, and takes our kids to school and this relieves pressure on my side for me to be 100% focused in my training.” Says Kipchoge in an interview with Citizen TV.
At the age of 39 years, doing what Kipchoge is doing is just unbelievable. He is a role model to many people in their respective disciplines to work hard, stay humble, and embrace the power of teamwork through family and colleagues.