The Team Tri Fit Kericho Triathlon!

 

Hello there happy people! 😀 Have you ever experienced something so amazing, it seemed surreal? Looking back, our time in Kericho felt dreamlike, and the Team Tri Fit Kericho Triathlon was the climax of it all! 😀

 

 

What is the ‘Team Tri Fit Kericho Triathlon’?

Some years back, two friends, Angelous Kamande and Michael Owora had a somewhat ‘meeting of the minds & purpose….’

As the story goes, each had a desire to do something impactful, fueled by passion…. and thus, the idea of Team Tri Fit was born!

Team Tri Fit aims to foster the sport of Triathlon in Kenya, through training and competitive events in swimming, cycling & running.

 

 

Moreover, it’s for a good cause! At present, they wish to raise Kes, 500,000, in support of the National Spinal Injury Hospital’s rehabilitation facilities. Amazing right? 🙂

 

I believe success is achieved by ordinary people with Extraordinary Determination ~ Zig Ziglar.

 

Currently, Team Tri Fit runs a series of three Triathlons per year in Kenya: Kericho, Diani and Ruiru, with hopes of expanding to more locations.

So, when my friend Angelous told us about the Kericho Triathlon this September, I was keen to go! 😀

 

Superb Venue For The Kericho Triathlon: Chesumot Farm!

Soon after arriving in Kericho, we drove to Chesumot Farm, where the Kericho Triathlon would be taking place.

It was love at first sight for me! Set on a 1,000 acres farm, the place is like a haven of enchanting views and nothing but the sound of birds and pure tranquillity. 🙂

 

Mr. Kim Martins, the Managing Director of Chesumot Farm, gave us a warm welcome. He has partnered with Team Tri Fit to provide the venue for the Kericho Triathlon.

Chesumot’s guest-house, where the Team was staying, is a dream! It is a lovely cottage with 4 bedrooms, and the most endearing fire place! 🙂

 

Wanjiku Thuo and I later got invited to stay there for two days with the team, and had a blissful experience! 🙂

Chesumot’s guest house is open to visitors throughout the year at an affordable cost. They provide an in-house chef, Wi-Fi and DSTV, plus access to the entire Farm for horse-riding, swimming, kayaking and more!

It is the perfect escape for a getaway with your friends or family, to experience life on a serene Kericho Farm. 🙂

I highly suspect that this gorgeous venue is part of what makes the Kericho Triathlon series so popular!

 

 

A Fire Ignited By True Team Spirit!

On the night before the Triathlon, we were invited over for dinner at Chesumot Farm. At the house, the air was alive with enthusiasm and anticipation, ahead of the race.

The Triathletes were seated around the living room, with the fire burning warmly, swapping stories & poking fun at each other… You could tell that a spirit of camaraderie exists among them. 🙂

In usual Kericho fashion, the rains came down with a vengeance that night… with athletes arriving as late as 11 p.m from Nairobi and beyond. Yet, their spirits remained undeterred!

That night, I observed in small bits, what Team Tri Fit is all about. 🙂

 

The Day of the Kericho Triathlon…

The next morning, Wanjiku and I woke up as early as 5 a.m, to ensure we caught our ride with Falgun Bhojak, the Race Director back to Chesumot Farm.

After a quick breakfast at Sunshine Hotel, a bunch of us squeezed into Falgun’s car and left for the Farm. 🙂

We found the guest house deserted, since the Triathletes were already at the Dam, where the event was set to begin.

But, oh the dam! Whoa! 😀 It was mesmerizingly beautiful, with the backdrop of the rising sun, illuminating its waters… Although I found it hard to believe anyone could swim in it, I was intensely captivated by the dam’s beauty. 🙂

 

 

A Rundown of The Triathlon Events!

Falgun gave a short briefing, with the Race regulations… As this was going down, I took to observing Triathletes’ faces… Therein, I saw passion & determination married with excitement, and a bit of anxiety…

 

They were about to partake something almost inconceivable to the human mind! Yet there they were… 🙂 Willing participants, ready to brave the cold water and muddy terrain. It was simply inspiring!

 

Triathlon Categories

This was the killer part! 😀 They have fashioned the Kericho Triathlon around Chesumot farm; first a swim in the freezing dam waters, then cycling, & thereafter running through a marked trail in the tea fields…

The 5 Categories are as follows:

Sprint Triathlon (Individual+ Team Challenge): 750m swim, 20Km Bike + 5Km Run

 

Kids Triathlon: 500m swim, 10Km Bike, 3Km Run

 

Sprint Duathlon (Individual+ Team Challenge): 5Km Run, 20Km Bike, 5Km Run

 

Kids Duathlon- 2.5KM Run, 10Km Bike, 2.5Km Run

 

19.5Km X Country Trail Run

 

Team Tri fit introduced the 19.5Km Cross Country Run to help involve more locals in the Triathlon. This was a massive success, because out of the 110 people who took part, about 50 were locals.

 

Their commitment to running is quite impressive! You could easily spot them ‘warming up’ all through, up & down the hilly fields like it was a mere morning jog! 😀

 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: WANJIKU THUO

 

Breaking Barriers, with Grit!

It was an exceptional day, from the moment the Triathletes dived into the dam to start, to the last person crossing the finish line…

 

Each person seemed determined to chart their own path, and stay on course for their race.

 

 

Both the race officials & spectators kept up a positive spirit urging on the triathletes, even as it got tougher & tougher. And boy did it get tough!

 

 

Faced with the most challenging trail possible, falling repeatedly, to bikes breaking down…and bearing its toll on the body, they simply refused to quit!

 

Grit is the stubborn refusal to quit ~ Jonah Lehrer

 

In the end, one of my Team favorites, Ali Shamuty was the overall Triathlon Champion. He completed his race in 2 hours, 21 minutes, followed by Reginald Lusala – 2hours, 50 minutes.

 

The ladies impressively stayed on course, with Joanna French taking the lead followed by Hetal Shah. 🙂

NB: You can watch a  short video of the day’s events HERE

 

Reflections….

I observed something that day… At the Kericho Triathlon, there was only one tribe- Sportsmanship. 🙂

The support that the Triathletes show each other is noteworthy, crossing all divides… It was evident that Team Tri Fit is making a difference. 🙂

My sincere thanks to Team Tri Fit for giving us the opportunity to share in this ‘uber-amazing’ event!  And a special thanks to Angelous, for letting us tag along on his adventure! 🙂

Are you interested in partaking the Triathlon? I’ve got your back! 😉 😀 Look out for the Diani Triathlon, happening on 3rd December, 2017. Click HERE for details on how to register.

 

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. ~Harriet Tubman

 

---

 

Thank You for reading my dear friends! 🙂 It’s always delightful to hear from you… Share your thoughts, questions and feedback on the Comments’ Section down below! 😀

 

<Stay. Inspired. Always>

 

P.S. >>Sharing is Caring: So Share, Share, Share!