For Solomon Ayela Okeny, the journey to the African Championships in Accra was about much more than athletics.Growing up in Kakuma Refugee Camp in North Western Kenya, he had spent years watching planes land with food and humanitarian supplies before taking off again into the distance. He always wondered what it would feel like to be inside one.
That curiosity finally turned into reality on May 9 when Okeny boarded a plane for the first time in his life as part of the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team, travelling to Ghana for the African Championships.
The experience left a lasting impression on the young athlete.“I was very nervous when the flight attendants explained what we needed to do in case of an emergency,” Okeny said in an interview with World Athletics “But the whole experience of moving in this ‘thing that just floats in the sky’ was worth it. I didn’t sleep even for a second during the entire journey.”
The excitement of travelling outside Kenya for the first time was shared by several members of the refugee team, many of whom had never experienced a major international championship environment before.
Okeny, competing in the 400m, responded by running a personal best of 52.40 in Accra, becoming the first member of the team to compete at the championships. For 1500m runner Abdifatah Aden Hassan, the competition brought both nerves and breakthrough moments. Hassan admitted that the pressure of racing abroad for the first time affected him before his event, even falling ill a day earlier.
However, after encouragement from coach Janeth Jepkosgei, he produced one of the performances of his career, slashing more than five seconds off his personal best to run 3:57.05.
Spinter Kun Waar Liem described the trip as “eye-opening” after finally meeting African stars he had previously only watched online. The 200m athlete said seeing elite sprinters train and compete up close changed his perspective on the sport and motivated him to improve.
I have met some of the athletes I used to watch online and follow on social media,” Liem said after running 22.84 in the heats. These guys are very fast. They have encouraged me and shared some tips on how I can better my craft. I felt challenged and motivated because when you compete against fast athletes, you want to do better. They have given me something to focus on.
Liem specifically spoke about the inspiration he drew from watching Zimbabwean sprinter Tapiwanashe Makarawu compete alongside some of the continent’s best athletes. While the younger athletes were experiencing their first major international event, Perina Lokure Nakang arrived in Accra with more championship experience, having already competed at two World Athletics Championships and the Paris Olympics.
Still, the South Sudanese runner said the competition taught her important lessons as she finished the women’s 800m in 2:10.02 under difficult weather conditions.
I believe I can run faster, Nakang said. The competition was tough, but I know what I need to work on to achieve my goals in the upcoming competitions and in life. Nakang added that Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon continues to inspire her ambitions both on and off the track.
I usually look up to Faith, and I want to make something out of my career as she has,” she said. “I want to run so that I can go back home (South Sudan) and change my country.
Read Also: Athletics Kenya’s measures to address US visa challenges ahead of World U20 Championships