Samuel Wanjiru: Excellence dies at a tender age – Athletics News
Spectators usually remember athletes due to their impressive performances on the track, as they like them because of the entertaining moves that they make on track are usually matchless. Their dominance over the rivals is obvious and their style is unique
as people crave for watching and following them.
However, there is another side of the lives of these extra ordinary performers as well. In their off the camera life, they are like common human beings, they love, they hate, they make friends, and they perform the deeds that may depict the personality and
the caliber they have developed. This picture of their personal life is usually confined to those who are really close to them.
Samuel Wanjiru, the 24-year old formidable athlete who died of the injuries he sustained after falling off the balcony of his home in Nyahururu, was one such player who has two distinct faces of life. One was for his fans and spectators around the world,
which carried a heroic image, while the other one was that of a god father and this face of his life was not only for his family, but also for the youth dwelling in his area.
Born in 1986, Wanjiru knew it right from the beginning that he had the potential to emerge at the global arena of athletics. Pursuing his dreams through toiling efforts and tireless trainings, the young athlete grabbed the lime-light first when he was a
mere 18-year-old and broke the world record in the half marathon. His success in the middle distance race diverted the attention of world media towards him, which soon discovered that he was among the greatest long distance runners of his generation.
Besides others accomplishments, another prominent feather in Wanjiru’s cap was his success in the 2008 Olympic marathon race. This was the event which confirmed the fact that he was going to stay in the sport and was going to pose some real challenges to
his rivals. However, nobody knew that his days will be over soon and his supporters will no more be able to see him performing.
The loss of his family, Athletics Kenya and the spectators is at their own place, but youth living in his area were also the major sufferer after his death. Very few people are aware of the fact that Wanjiru was a great, but silent philanthropist. He had
not only established a platform to train the young runners of his area, but also used to extend financial help to them for fulfilling their financial needs.
The view of his philanthropist life came before the world when a man living in his area revealed that the maestro runner used to help him financially. He used to pay the fees of the private school the man’s son was attending. He also used to help him on
and off, whenever he needed money.
Sharing a similar incident, his manager told the media that Wanjiru used to take the young runners of his area to hotels with him and offer them meals that they wanted to eat. Some times the meals even cost him over KES 20,000 of the local currency.
According to official sources of the Kenyan athletics, Wanjiru was also financing about 20 athletes to go abroad and take part into various long distance competitions. Had he been alive, the boys of his area said that he could have significantly helped all
of them to change their fate and future.
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