In 2018, Faith Kipyegon’s life took a new twist, she became a mother for the first time.
An extended period on the sidelines meant that she was either coming out a better athlete or she would just call it quits, she chose the former.
Very few athletes in the global athletics scene can quite boast the combination of sheer success and zest for living like Faith Kipyegon.
When she decided to start a family, many did not give her a chance, they said she was going to be finished but after one year and four months, she came back with a bang!
“When I took time out to have a baby, I took a full year off running: four months before the birth, another eight months after it.”
“Coming back was not easy.”
“Your body changes during pregnancy. I gained a lot of weight: I was 45kg before, 53kg after. Things were not as they were before.”
“I lost all my fitness. I was tired all the time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t come back. It just takes time,” she said.
The defending Olympics champion is determined to retain her crown on Friday August 6 but she knows that there is another task ahead. Kipyegon together with Edina Jebitok and Winny Chebet are aware of the threat posed by their opponents but she believes that strong mentality will win the day.
“This is my first olympics as a mother, i am determined to do well and make my daughter (Alyn) proud,” she said after comfortably sailing through heat one on Monday.
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