Tuigoin 8k

This Saturday, I had the ultimate Kenyan experience. Since October, one of the research assistants in the TB office has been talking about a cross country meet he organizes in his small village. He has been hosting this event for the past ten years to empower the young children in the community to get involved in healthy activities. He heard that a group of us would love to run so he graciously invited us to participate!

My mentor arrived in Eldoret last week and she happens to be a marathon runner so we had a great group representing the US.

We started out at Emmanuel's home where we met his family and walked around his beautiful farm.












Afterward, we headed to the center of the village to watch the races. Here are some highlights...
The older men 2k winners












The women's 8k...check out our competition...












We came in last, but we finished!












The highlight of the day for me was when I was asked to give away the prize for the men's 12k and the guy in charge plopped a sheep into my arms...












This event really brought the entire community together, and it reminded me of the impact a few people can have if they remain dedicated to something they truly believe in. This event started with one volleyball tournament 10 years ago and now it has grown to several volleyball matches and multiple running events that attracts thousands of people from the surrounding villages. Living proof that major things can be accomplished with little resources!