Financial advice Ferdinand Omanyala gave his brother to support his fledgling sprinting career

For many young athletes, success is measured in seconds shaved off the clock. For Isaac Omurwa, however, it is also measured by discipline, patience, and financial wisdom.

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“Omanyala advises me about a lot of things. But the best advice he has given me is how to use my money… how to save and utilise it, not waste it,” Omurwa told Mozzart Sport.

It is a lesson that has already begun to shape the trajectory of his fledgling sprinting career.

Last season alone, Omurwa earned approximately Ksh1.4 million, an impressive sum for a rising athlete still carving out his identity in the sport. Instead of splurging, he chose to listen, learning early that success on the track must be matched by smart decisions off it.

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While financial discipline may be one of the most practical lessons he has picked up from his older brother, Omurwa reveals that Omanyala’s journey has shaped most of his career and decisions.

On a balmy Thursday morning at the Kasarani Annex Grounds. The Omurwa brothers are among the athletes sweating it out under the scorching sun, pushing through another demanding training session.

On the touchline stands their coach, Duncan Ayiemba, quietly observing, barely shouting, but clearly absorbing every detail.

After the workout, the athletes gather for a brief video session before easing into their warm-down routine. Then it is time for the interview.

During training, however, the two brothers are simply part of the pack; Omurwa is “Izzo” to his teammates, while his older brother answers to “Ferdy.”

A career that almost wasn’t

Sprinting was never the plan. Omurwa grew up chasing a ball, not a finish line.

“I started with football in primary school. I loved it. Even my dad wanted me to play because he was a footballer,” he says.

Then came rugby at Alliance High School, a sport that suited his physicality and competitive edge.

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Athletics only entered the picture by chance.

“In Form Three, I heard there were trials. I just went to try… and I performed well.”

That try changed everything. He made it to the East Africa School Games. More importantly, he began to see what others had already noticed; he was fast.

Living close to greatness, but not inside it

For many, having Ferdinand Omanyala as a brother would come with pressure.

However, for Omurwa, it feels normal, “I don’t feel it. I see him as a teammate.”

But the outside world sees it differently.

“People treat me differently when they find out he’s my brother. They treat me well,” he admits.

There are cameras, curiosity, and assumptions that his path is easier, smoother, and pre-written. He quietly pushes back against that narrative.

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“If there are trials, I show up, I run, and I make the team. My performance speaks for itself,” he says.

It is a simple philosophy, but a deliberate one. He is not trying to outrun his brother’s shadow; he is trying to outgrow it.

The season that stopped him

If 2025 showed promise, 2024 nearly broke his rhythm. A grade-three hamstring injury ended his season before it could even begin.

“I got injured in my first race. I had just run a personal best in the heats… then the semis happened,” he recalls.

Three months out. No training. No competition. No structure, “It drained me. I was just at home.”

For a young athlete still building his identity, that kind of pause can feel like erasure.

But it also revealed something deeper: how he handles silence, doubt, and slow days.

The conversations no one hears

Omurwa does not always rely on coaches or teammates to reset. Sometimes, he relies on himself.

“I talk to myself a lot. When I don’t feel ready for training, I walk around the pitch encouraging myself… until I get into the right mindset,” he says.

It is not loud. It is not dramatic. But it is discipline.

And perhaps that is where his biggest growth is happening, not in races, but in the quiet moments before them.

The money lesson that changed his mindset

For many young athletes, the first real money comes with temptation: lifestyle, pressure, and expectations. Omurwa admits he could have easily gone down that road were it not for his brother’s guidance.

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“Omanyala advises me about a lot of things. I can’t really seek advice anywhere else because what he does is what I do,” he says.

In learning how to manage his finances, Omurwa is doing something many athletes learn too late: treating his career like a long-term investment, not a short-term win.

Chasing, not copying

Even with that guidance, Omurwa is careful not to become a replica. His coach sees it clearly.

“He looks up to Omanyala, but he also wants to challenge him. He doesn’t want to stay in his shadow,” Ayiemba says.

That ambition shows in training. He takes on bigger athletes, pushes beyond his physical limits, and steadily builds the strength he still lacks.

“He has the speed, but we are working on his strength. He is growing bit by bit,” the tactician adds.

A brother’s belief

For Omanyala, the vision he holds for his younger brother is already clear.

“He is going to be a sub-10 sprinter. And I want him to be someone the country can depend on,” he says.

It may sound like a bold prediction, but it is grounded in what he has seen up close. More importantly, it comes with balance.

“I want him to use my name where he can… but at some point, he has to do it alone.”

More than a surname

Away from the track, Omurwa is light, social, and present. He laughs easily, watches series, and keeps those around him in good spirits.

But when it comes to sprinting, there is a quiet certainty.

“I know in the next few years, I will be something great. My name will be somewhere in the world,” he says.

Not his brother’s name, but his.

And maybe that is what this story really is: not about being related to greatness, but about learning how to build your own, step by step, race by race, decision by decision.

Including the ones that never make headlines.