“Sometimes life reveals your greatest strength outside the classroom.”
These words aptly describe 20- year- old Faith Chepkemoi, whose passion for long jump and triple jump, field events have propelled her into the national stage.
A year after scoring a C minus grade in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), the budding athlete clinched fifth place in both of her field disciplines at the recently concluded national athletics trials in Nairobi, demonstrating that determination and talent can open doors that academic grades alone cannot.
In her debut appearance at the Athletics Kenya (AK) National Track and Field Championships and Commonwealth Trials, held from June 18 to 20 at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Chepkemoi posted personal bests of 5.60 metres in the long jump and 11.78 metres in the triple jump, marking an impressive start in her national athletics career.
In an interview with KNA at the Kericho Teachers Training College grounds, Chepkemoi a resident of Sosiot area within Belgut sub-county in Kericho County said her athletics journey began in secondary school, where she competed in the long jump and triple jump. She would finish fourth in both events during the school games, earning qualification for the National School Games.
“While at Saseta Secondary School, I competed in the long jump and triple jump from Form One to Form Four. I qualified for the National School Games every year and recorded a personal best of 11.70 metres in the triple jump. After completing my KCSE in 2025, I decided to pursue my passion for athletics and joined Coach Gabriel Kiptanui’s training camp early this year.” said Chepkemoi.
The upcoming athlete further added that she was ready and confident during the just concluded Athletics Kenya (AK) National Track and Field Championships and Commonwealth Trials, and was expecting good results.
“I was well prepared and confident going into both events because this is what I had been waiting for. The weather conditions were favorable, so I was expecting to perform well.” said Chepkemoi.
Chepkemoi attributed her steady progress to a disciplined training routine that begins with a 30-minute morning run before breakfast, followed by a full-body gym workout later in the day.
“My day starts at 6am with a 30-minute run before breakfast. I then return to training at 3pm for a full-body gym workout to improve my strength and performance in the long jump and triple jump.” she added.
Athletics Kenya (AK) Kericho County Branch Vice Chairman Gabriel Kiptanui described Chepkemoi as one of the county’s promising young field athletes, saying her impressive debut at the national championships is a clear indication of her potential.
Kiptanui who also doubles up as a coach noted that with consistent training, discipline and exposure to more competitions, she has what it takes to improve her personal bests, compete at higher levels and eventually represent Kenya in regional and internationally championships.
He urged young people to identify and nurture their talents, saying sports can provide viable career opportunities alongside education.
“Faith is disciplined and dedicated athlete with immense potential. Her performance at the national championships was impressive, especially considering it was her debut at that level. With consistent training, proper guidance and exposure to more competitions, I am confident she will achieve even better results and has the potential to represent Kenya on the international stage.’ said Kiptanui.
Coach Kiptanui has produced a number of top track stars among them the reigning Beatrice Chepkoech, long distance runner and four-time gold medalist Mercy Cherono, 2024 New York City Marathon title holder Sheila Chepkirui, a middle distance runner who won the 800 metres race in his Diamond League debut in 2014 Robert Kiptoo Biwott among other seasoned athletes.
Determined to turn her passion into a profession, Chepkemoi said she chose to pursue athletics full-time and is now intensifying her training ahead of the first AK meeting on November 1, 2026, where she hopes to build on her impressive debut.
By Sarah Njagi
