Marion Nyabiba, a second Module Information Communication and Technology (ICT) trainee at the Eldoret National Polytechnic, has won a sponsorship courtesy of her prowess in athletics.
The trainee, who comes from a humble single parent home in Kisii, met Felix Geieregger from Austria in 2022 during her athletics trainings in Run2gether Camp in Longonot/Naivasha in Nakuru County.
The Austrian decided to support her in her studies and athletics by paying her school fees and purchasing training equipment to make her professional athletics dream come true.
Until the day she met her sponsor, Nyabiba had been participating in athletics training in Ru2gether Camp Longonot in Naivasha, which has served as a motivational tool in her studies and athletics.
“Felix is an athlete himself and visited Kenya many times. I am thankful for his support and also thankful for the support of Friedrich High School in Austria, which helped to get this scholarship,” Nyabiba said, counting herself lucky to be a student of Eldoret National Polytechnic where sports is taken seriously.
She acknowledges the role the principal and the dean for their great support, as well as the coach Musa Kibet who facilitated her travel to Austria.
The polytechnic’s sports and Dean’s office created a collaboration to monitor the welfare of the young and ambitious athlete.
She got invited to participate in road races in Austria on January 10, 2024, which were organized and facilitated by Geieregger. This also enabled her to do her industrial attachment while in Austria and participate in the race. She is completing her attachment tomorrow before doing her last race on March 23, 2024.
While in Austria, the girl had fruitful road races and showed impressive best times. In the 5km road race, she clocked her best time of 16:50 while in the 10km, she did 35:20. She also trained PE in a secondary school in Austria.
Last year, she represented her college in the national polytechnic athletics competitions where she won silver in both 10,000m and 5,000m. She also won silver in the 4 by 400m relays.
She has also competed in the KATTI nationals at Nyayo Stadium where she came out position three in 5,000m and position four in 10,000m.
“The Eldoret National Polytechnic has played a major role in giving the young trainee and athlete a platform to show her athletics capabilities. This has been achieved through provision of trainings and presenting her for competitions,” said the college Chief Principal Charles Koech.
The girl’s dream of joining the Kenyan athletics contingent for international competitions is still in place as she plans to come back to Kenya on April 1, 2024.
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By Brian Ndigo
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