In life, some stories are moving while others are beyond inspiring.
The tale of retired long-distance runner Robert Mwafrika Cheruiyot is one of the stories that will never be forgotten in the rich Kenyan athletic history.
Cheruiyot, who was popularly known as Omar Ahmed, overcame all the obstacles on his path to make it in life.
The former marathon world record holder was born in September 2016, 1978 in Kapsabet, Nandi County.
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Like many Kenyans who came from poor backgrounds then, the lack of fees left him with no option but to drop out of school.
In an interview with Fever Pitch 16 years ago, Mwafrika revealed that his parents left him and his siblings to fend for themselves.
"I am one man who believes that God is there. Sometimes, I can’t imagine the Mwafrika of today and the Mwafrika of six years ago (are the same person).
"I grew up without shelter, food, and without someone to turn to. This is not to say that my parents were not there. They just decided to desert the family confining us to fate," he narrated.
Left to fend for himself, a homeless Cheruiyot went to look for greener pastures in Mosoriot, a small trading center located on the outskirts of Eldoret town.
While at Mosoriot, he used to sleep on Verandahs with watchmen, enduring the cold weather that is usually experienced in most parts of the Rift Valley.
However, despite all the challenges, Mwafrika went on to become one of the most successful athletes on the globe.
He became the first Kenyan road race runner to bag the coveted Boston Marathon title four times.
His maiden win in Boston came in 2003 when he crossed the finishing line in 02:10.11, ahead of compatriots Benjamin Kimutai and Martin Lel. Kimutai and Lel clocked a time of 02:10.34 and 02:11.11 respectively.
He also triumphed in the American-based marathon in 2006 and 2007, breaking a course record at the latter’s edition
In 2008, the powerful athlete spectacularly clinched his fourth marathon title.
Cheruiyot led for most of the race to reach the tape in a time of 02:07.14, missing the course record he set in 2006 by just 32 seconds.
Besides Boston, Mwafrika also managed to triumph at the Chicago Marathon title. He did so in controversial circumstances, injuring his head at the finishing line.