Double 1,500m World champion Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon revealed on Monday, August 1, how being a mother made her stronger than ever before.
The Kaptagat-based runner posted a short video on social media - explaining her motherhood journey and the changes that her school-going daughter named Alyn Kitum brought into her life.
“The first time I wanted to become a mother was in 2017. I thought this is the time to start a family and I was really planning that after the World Championships in London, there would be the Commonwealth Games. Then I thought it was my time to take a break from the Commonwealth Games to have a baby and come back for the 2019 World Championships.
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“In my mind I was mentally prepared. When I go through maternal leave and come back, I will be stronger because I am seeing my baby running around and this gives you joy,” she divulged.
Kipyegon disclosed that the first few months after giving birth to Alyn were not easy because her body underwent a lot of changes.
“It was not easy, because I could feel my body was very different. I was like 63kg and could run 20 minutes. So I had to walk a little bit for the first month. The second month I was running 30 minutes and my coach told me to start with the exercises and it went smoothly,” stated Kipyegon.
According to Chepngetich, she had to balance her career and being a mother to Alyn in order to be a top athlete.
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“You have to be mentally strong. You know you have to be strong knowing that you have the little one. You have to balance both motherhood and your career because if you decide to let one go, the other one will also be affected,” she revealed.
The 28-year-old showed impressive performance after returning from the maternity break. She successfully defended her 1,500m Olympic title at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games.
Kipyegon also went on to bag a silver medal at the 2019 World Athletics championships staged in Qatar, before recently clinching the elusive title in Oregon, United States.
The 2014 Commonwealth Champion ended by stating that she would let Alyn decide what was best for her when she came of age.
“I will not tell her to run. I will not tell her to play football, but I want her to follow her heart and enjoy life,” disclosed Kipyegon.
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