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Hellen Obiri has opened up about the backlash she faced as a girl growing up in her village in Kisii County.
Hellen Obiri has opened up about how tough it was growing up in a community that gave very little value to what women would do.
She was born and raised up in a village in Kisii County and she noted that many people from her village had no clue that women also could excel in the sporting world as she revealed that people looked at her as if she was mad when she first started training.
The two-time world 5000m silver medallist faced a lot of backlash and people would advise her to stop. She further noted that lack of exposure also made them believe that women should not be educated and by stopping them from training, they were just protecting the girl child.
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11:57 - 29.11.2024
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“In my community, women are not valued. They don’t believe a woman can be a great champion in sports. I come from a village, a small community, and they have no idea about the potential of women in sports. When I started training, people called me crazy,” Hellen Obiri said as per Foot Boom.
“I remember once when someone stopped me on the street while I was running and asked: why do you insist on continuing to run? That made me feel bad, as people didn't appreciate me. They told me I should stop training and take care of my family. Maybe they want to protect the girls by saying that. Moreover, they think girls don’t need to study, that studying is only for boys, and that there’s no need for women to pursue education.”
Hellen Obiri did not let the critics deem her light as she continued training and working smart. Her dedication and sacrifice have helped her rise to become one of Kenya’s greatest athletes.
Obiri has won medals on global stages including the World Championships and Olympic Games and was even in action at the Paris Olympic Games where she claimed a bronze medal in the women’s marathon.
In her transition to the full marathon, she has been able to bag three wins out of her five marathons. In her debut in 2022, she finished sixth at the New York City Marathon before proceeding to claim wins at the 2023 Boston and New York City Marathons. She also claimed top honours at the 2024 Boston Marathon before finishing second in New York a few weeks ago.
She expressed confidence that a lot of things have changed in her community and through her success, people have started noting that women also can do anything.
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13:30 - 30.11.2024
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“But this is starting to change; women are beginning to see other women succeed in sports, and they start to understand the value of women. Women in the same roles as men earn less than them. If there’s a job interview, they prefer hiring men. But as I always say, if a man can do something, a woman can do it even better,” Hellen Obiri added.
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