Kip Keino, 72, has won 2 gold and 2 silver Olympic medals in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics signaling the beginning of world domination by Kenyan runners that has lasted for over 30 years. Terry Nielsen, 46, has been running competitively and recreationally with the Comox Valley Road Runners since 2001. What’s the connection between Kip and Terry?
After visiting the legend’s training camp, Terry returned from Kenya in 2009 and reported to the CVRR board that there were many needy runners who Kip was supporting, and he could use some help. The CVRR is a non-profit organization and has a history of helping local causes in the Comox Valley from Lands Trust, to YANA, Dusk to Dawn Society; Care-A-Van, Kidsport and Forbidden Plateau Road Association to name a few. The CVRR also gives out bursuries annually to local up-and-coming youth runners. The organization also provides run clinics to enthuse new runners. The board enthusiastically approved the idea of helping runners from Kenya who were suffering from extreme poverty.
While in Kenya this past February, 2012, Terry was asked to see how the CVRR could specifically help poor, talented runners, that seem to abound in rural Kenya. For 30 years now local people have been reporting stellar runners to Kip Keino and then he explores how to enrol them in one of the boarding schools he has erected. Terry met with Kip and also met six boys who had been sponsored for the boarding school. The boys were selected and screened by the Kip Keino scholarship review committee. These boys had two things in common: they were extremely poor, and they could run like the wind.
While their education was sponsored the boys have little else to their names. Their shoes were threadbare, and they did not have basic running gear, such as shirts, shorts or singlets. When there are school holidays they have no home to go back to, or their home is not a healthy place to be. They also do not have the means to travel to, or participate in, non-school running events. Their school is rural and the schedule is rigorous; each school day starts at 5 a.m. and ends at 11 p.m. While the other school boys relax in a spare hour or two, these boys run.
CVRR has generously donated $600 CDN to the Kip Keino foundation to provide running gear, transport and race entry, and training camp fees. It is far better for their mental health and their running if they go to a run training camp on their school holidays. These funds will pay for several weeks of camps, many trips to races ,along with running shoes and training gear; $600 goes a long way in Kenya.
Kip expressed his gratitude for the help provided by the CVRR. He is a very low key, approachable person who spends a great deal of his time travelling the world. He is especially busy this year as he helps prepare athletes from all over the world for the 2012 Olympics. IAAF-sponsored athletes spend several months per year at the camp which is focused on long-term development. The camp is part of a farm which grows much of the food for the athletes, including fresh eggs and milk daily.
“I have been with CVRR for 10 years and this club amazes me. I knew we did a lot in the local community, but to now see us reach out internationally shows just how big the hearts of CVRR members are,” says Nielsen, “It’s an amazing group of people who like to help the world and go running!”
For further information check out the Comox Valley Road Runners’ website at
www.cvrr.ca.
– Comox Valley Road Runners
