For 11-year-old Rebecca Cherop, every race has been another victory over adversity.
The Standard Six pupil at Chemweisus SA Comprehensive School in Mt. Elgon Sub-county of Bungoma has risen from an obscure village school to the East African athletics stage after an outstanding season that saw her dominate competitions from the grassroots to the national level.
Her impressive performance earned her a place in Team Kenya for the 2026 Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games in Morogoro, Tanzania, where she will compete in the 3,000 metres.
But as the country’s finest young athletes prepare to fly the Kenyan flag, Rebecca’s dream hangs in the balance.
The promising athlete from Chemweisus village lacks even the most basic equipment needed to continue her journey, forcing her school to make an emotional appeal for support from leaders, Athletics Kenya and well-wishers.
Rebecca’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable.
She won the zonal, Sub-county, county and regional championships before finishing second at the national championships to book her place in Team Kenya.
Her exploits have thrust the little-known Chemweisus SA Comprehensive School into the national spotlight, with the institution celebrating one of the greatest sporting achievements in its history.
The regional championships will be held in Morogoro, Tanzania, from August 12 to 23, bringing together the best school athletes from across East Africa.
Kenya has over the years dominated athletics at the FEASSSA Games, producing many of the region’s finest young distance runners.
Rebecca now hopes to add her name to that rich legacy by winning a medal for Kenya and becoming one of the few athletes from the remote slopes of Mt. Elgon to leave a lasting mark on the regional championships.
Before departing for Tanzania, she is expected to report to the M-Pesa Foundation Academy on August 7 for a four-day residential training camp alongside the other members of the 71-member Kenyan athletics team.
However, according to the school’s Headteacher, Emily Kimtai, poverty now threatens to end Rebecca’s promising athletics career before she even steps onto the regional stage.
Kimtai said Rebecca comes from an extremely vulnerable family and is being raised by her elderly grandmother, who is unable to provide the necessities required for competitive athletics.
“She comes from a very poor background. As a school, we have nurtured her talent this far, but we do not have the financial capacity to support her fully to achieve her athletics goals,” said Kimtai.
She said the girl’s exceptional talent could transform not only her own future but also lift her family out of poverty if given the support she deserves.
“It is through this talent that she can change her life and that of her family. We are appealing to the leadership of Mt Elgon, Bungoma County, well-wishers and Athletics Kenya to come to her rescue,” she said.
Kimtai said Rebecca urgently needs basic athletics gear, including track shoes, a tracksuit and other essential training equipment, noting that without such support, her participation at the regional championships is in doubt.
“If she is not helped, then she may not proceed to the regional competition, despite earning her place through hard work and merit,” she said.
The Headteacher said supporting Rebecca would not only secure her future but also inspire many other children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the area to embrace athletics as a pathway out of poverty.
“It will encourage other children to take up athletics and believe that talent can change their lives,” she added.
Rebecca is among the 10 athletes from Western Region who are part of the 71 selected to represent Kenya at the FEASSSA.
The team comprises 36 girls and 35 boys drawn from across the country.
For the quiet village of Chemweisus, Rebecca’s rise has already rewritten history.
As the countdown to Morogoro gathers pace, her school hopes compassionate Kenyans will rally behind the young runner and ensure that her remarkable journey does not end where it should be taking flight.
By Chris Mahandara
