World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge on Wednesday, September 8, officially opened his own foundation called ‘the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation’.
The foundation focuses on two pillars: education and environment, and both subjects have been close to Kipchoge’s heart throughout his life and are areas where he foresees making an impact on a better world.
“Education helps you grow, and it can help you grow your community alongside you, and access to information is crucial for good education and a good library is the foundation for this,” stated Kipchoge.
In reference to the environment, which is the foundation's second pillar, he stated that he wants to provide a healthy world for the future generations.
“I want the world to breathe well, and without forests, you cannot have ideal conditions for training. As a farmer, I know about the importance of a good climate, planting of trees and using the land in a sustainable way, so people can grow healthy food and plants, also for the next generations.
“I believe together we can make dry land green again, which has a huge impact on biodiversity, water availability and healthy food. You can always start helping, even by adopting trees. I began already with adopting a forest near our training camp to help save it. I want to reach out to help save and grow forests around the world,”added the record holder.
Fresh from the Tokyo Olympics where he won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the marathon race, he stated that his mission is to give all children in the world access to knowledge and education.
“My mission is to give all children in the world access to knowledge and education. I want those children to grow up into healthy adults in a green and breathing world where forests keep our people safe,” he said.
While urging people to plant trees on their birthdays, Kipchoge said that his foundation also aims at making running become a lifestyle for many people as one way of promoting good health across the globe.