Sally Kipyego holding the ten cross-country medals she was awarded in just two seasons competing for Texas Tech University. Photo courtesy Run LOVE for Runnerspace.com.
Dec. 8, 2009
By Nicole Blood
When she was 4-years-old, Sally Kipyego’s father died, leaving her mother to raise her three bothers and three sisters alone. Her family was poor like so many of the other families in the Marakwet District of Kenya, and opportunities were limited.
But Kipyego was determined to make it her own, so like many others in her country who were seeking a better life, Kipyego ran.
“People in Kenya run as a means to make money and change their lives,” Kipyego said. “I looked at running as a way out. It was just something I had to do.”
Early in high school, at Moi Kapcherop Girls, Kipyego discovered she had a natural talent in long-distance running and wasted no time.
Right away, she took the sport very seriously, setting high goals and progressing quickly.
Her early success gave her high hopes for the future; she planned to become a professional runner as a means to make money in order to help support her family and community. And she felt the pressure to succeed.
“When it’s something your life depends on, there will be pressure,” Kipyego said.
She was just 15 years old when she qualified to represent Kenya’s junior cross-country team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2001. She finished eighth at the event, establishing herself as one of the top junior female distance runners in the world after just three years of training.
But the momentum was short-lived. Kipyego became injured with a stress fracture shortly after the cross country championships, and it took Kipyego two years to fully recover. “My dream to run as a professional was crushed,” she said.
She lost her confidence and let go of her dream. She came to accept that running professionally was no longer part of her plan, and so she refocused her energy.
“I had to settle,” she said. “I used my talent to get an education.”
Kipyego knew she could at least run fast enough to earn a scholarship to a college in the United States. It was a difficult decision, leaving her family behind and moving to live alone in a foreign place, but getting a free college education was an opportunity that Kipyego could not pass up.
“Making sacrifices is what life is all about,” she said.
In 2005, Kipyego enrolled at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas and ran on the cross country and track team. After three semesters, she transferred to Texas Tech University, where she planned to graduate with a nursing degree and possibly pursue a nursing career.
At Texas Tech, however, Kipyego’s running drastically improved, and it became her main focus once again.
In 2006, her first year as a Texas Tech Raider, Kipyego was undefeated during the cross country season. She won the Big 12 Conference championship, the All-Mountain Region championship, and the NCAA Division I championship.
“I started winning everything, and my goals kept going up and up,” Kipyego said. “I started thinking maybe I could run pro.”
Kipyego’s success continued at Texas Tech, and she became one of the most decorated female NCAA runners in history by the time she graduated in May 2009. She won a total of nine individual national titles, which is more than any other NCAA runner has ever accomplished in just two years.
Nike was ready to make her dream come true.
Kipyego signed a contract with Nike and moved to Eugene, Ore. with her husband, Kevin Chelimo, also a Texas Tech graduate from Kenya, the summer after graduation.
“It was a scary decision — but quick,” Kipyego said. “Eugene is perfect for running. I just knew this is the place to begin.”
Although Kipyego misses her family in Kenya, she is confident that Eugene is the best place for her to reach her ultimate potential. Nicknamed “Track Town, USA,” Eugene is a popular area for professional runners to live and train.
Kipyego decided to join the Eugene-based Oregon Track Club.
“Workouts are harder by yourself,” Kipyego said. “I needed to join a group.”
The Oregon Track Club is an elite group of approximately 25 runners coached by Mark Rowland. The group is made up of some of the top male and female middle and long distance runners in the world, including 800-meter Olympians Nick Symmonds and Nicole Teter, and top world competitors, Will Leer, Geena Gall and Jemma Simpson.
Kipyego mainly trains with Lauren Fleshman, a 15-time all-American Stanford graduate who won the NCAA 5,000 meter race in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and was the USA outdoor 5,000-meter champion in 2006.
Fleshman, a professional running veteran, is inspired by her younger teammate.
“She lit a fire under my butt,” Fleshman said. “She’s fresh out of college and very determined. That enthusiasm is contagious.”
As a professional, Kipyego said her life now revolves around running and getting faster.
“I am a full-time athlete now,” Kipyego said. “I eat, sleep and run.”
Kipyego plans to continue progressing, and has ambitious goals for the future, including the 2012 London Olympic Games.
“First, I have many monthly and yearly goals to run with the best in the world,” Kipyego said. “Once I know I can run with them, hopefully I can challenge them.”
Kipyego, now 23, said she is grateful and plans to take full advantage of everything she has been offered.
“Nike has given me this opportunity,” she said, “and I want to see where it will take me.”
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