Budding athlete Cherono, 36, now sets her eyes on breaking records
At 36, most athletes would be retired or in the process of winding up their careers.
However, for Caroline Cherono, it is the start. In fact, she wants to win marathon races and break records.
It is an ambition that has left many wondering just how possible this will be given despite her advanced age (in sporting terms), she is also a mother of three with her first born a Form Four student.
But Cherono is undeterred, after all, she has been through too much just to get here and she is not about to give up her dreams.
“What inspires me the most is that sports transforms one’s life. I have seen many athletes who come from difficult backgrounds becoming successful in society because they have passion for sports.
I used to compete in various races during primary school competitions and I now want to take it to the next level,” says Cherono, a Class Eight dropout.
Cherono started running while in primary school in the early 90s but would later abandon it after getting married.
However, the athletics bug bit her in 2010 when she was already a mother of two and that is when she deiced to take it seriously.
It was not easy getting back, however, as she had to shrug off a lot of naysayers.
From then on, Cherono started taking part in local races and it is her impressive performances in these events that gave her encouragement to go for bigger things.
“I believe I have what it takes to be a great marathoner. I have potential and I know I have not fully exhausted the talent. That is why I am determined to focus until I achieve my dream,” she adds.
In 2013, Cherono featured in the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon and finished an impressive sixth and this caught the eye of top athletics coaches and managers.
It was not long before she was signed by Gariete Athletics Training Camp in Kericho whose head coach is Gabriel Kiptanui.
Kiptanui is a renowned tactician who has produced a number of top track stars among them reigning world 3,000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech.
Her efforts and commitments would bear fruit in 2018 when she won the Torino half marathon in Italy.
“Nothing comes easy. One must struggle, sacrifice and no doubt the fruits of hard work will come,” Cherono told People Sports from her Kericho base on Tuesday.
Being a mother, wife and an athlete can be a difficult job especially when it comes to balancing the responsibilities, so how has she managed to juggle them?
“I plan my time well and with the support of my husband, all things are going on well,” she says.
She plans to feature in various cross-country events to gauge herself with a view to taking part in international competitions in the near future.
