Run like a Kenyan - Scotch College

Publications

Run like a Kenyan

JAMES CLEMENTS (YEAR 10) AND DAMIAN DI DONATO (YEAR 11)

Run like a Kenyan

 

Left To Right: Peiter Kynazis (Year 8), Finn Whittaker (Year 8), Noah Lacey (Year 7), David Rudisha, Rainer Getis (Year 7), Harry Islen (Year 7), Damian Di Natio (Year 12), James Clements (Year 10)

It’s not every day that you meet a world record holder, but on 27 February Scotch was honoured to host David Rudisha, the fastest man ever to run 800m.

David was born in Kenya, and from a young age had a great passion for and talent in athletics. During his time at St Patrick’s High School in Iten, under the guidance of Brother Colm O’Connell (school coach), David became the world junior champion over 800m. But this was only a sign of more to come. With absolute love and dedication to the sport, David kept training hard, resulting in him breaking the 800m world record in an astonishing time of 1:41.01. Now at the age of 23, the only thing left for him to achieve is an Olympic gold medal.

During lunchtime on Monday 27 February David spoke to a large crowd of boys, passing on his knowledge of the sport and giving the boys an idea of what it takes to become a world class athlete.

This was also a great insight into what the boys travelling to Kenya will experience. At the end of June this year a group of students are travelling to Kenya to live in, train in and experience the wonderful town of Iten, where David and many other champion Kenyan athletes have grown up. During their visit, the boys will be going to St Patrick’s High School, which has produced more world champions (including David) in athletics than any other school. They will also train there, at an altitude of 2,400m above sea level.

David Rudisha came to Melbourne to start off his season, running in the Sydney and Melbourne track classics. He then returned to Kenya to train for his upcoming 800m race in the Olympics. We wish him all the best with his mission to win an Olympic gold.