Heartwarming reason why Faith Kipyegon failed to gift her spikes to Larry Madowo [VIDEO]
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 04.10.24. | 07:00
With her season done, the three-time Olympic champion said that she was now taking some time off “to have fun”
Kenyan track queen Faith Kipyegon has revealed that she gifted a “young girl” her spikes after winning her season-ending track race at the inaugural Athlos NYC invitational in New York.
Kipyegon, who took the 1500m win ahead of Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, said that she did that to motivate the girl in her budding athletics career.
Speaking to CNN journalist Larry Madowo, Kipyegon, 30, said: “I gave out my spikes to a young girl who told me that she is running 1500m and so I decided to motivate her.”
Always an advocate of “inspiring more young girls to take up the sport”, Kipyegon’s simple act goes a long way in emphasizing her role as the global star she is.
One can only go back to a picture of a young Kipyegon running barefoot in the Kenya national junior cross-country in 2011.
I first saw Faith Kipyegon winning the junior race at the Iten cross country in 2011. Running barefoot. (No 229) pic.twitter.com/pv6Y3lwZsW
— Adharanand Finn (@adharanand) August 17, 2016
13 years later, and maybe another incredible story for a young girl.
Off to have fun
Yaani 🐐 @Kipyegon_Faith amepeana spikes zangu after kumaliza season with a bang pale New York. Ni sawa tu
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) October 3, 2024
Bumped into her in Amsterdam as we’re both heading to Nairobi pic.twitter.com/qUTA6nvpZW
With her season done, Kipyegon said that she was now taking some time off “to have fun” after an impressive season that saw her defend her Olympic and Diamond League titles, while also setting a new world record in the 1500m.
Speaking while at the Amsterdam Airport, the three-time Olympic champion said: “I am now going away to at least have some fun, take a holiday, and just say hi to my daughter and family. They have really missed me.”
