Budding Kenyan athletes running out of food as Covid-19 bites
“No human is limited,” Eliud Kipchoge famously said, moments after breaking the two-hour marathon barrier. This staggering show of athleticism in front of a global audience was the latest proof of Kenya’s dominance in long-distance races. The entire country had been in a frenzy for weeks, with corporations, politicians, diverse civil society organizations, and individual Kenyans, all finding ways to claim a piece of their hero.
Eliud Kipchoge in action during the INEOS 1:59 challenge in Vienna, November 2019 (Source: Business Insider)
Amid the vigorous debates on the real reason behind Kipchoge’s (and Kenyan athletes’) success, lies one undeniable fact: good nutrition is critical in athletic performance. Without healthy food, even elite athletes are limited in their ability to perform.
Signs that the Covid-19 lockdown would hit Kenyan athletes particularly hard — many of whom earn their livelihood on the international arena — started showing in March, when the Tokyo Marathon locked out non-elite runners to limit crowding.
As the virus continued its global onslaught, World Athletics reacted by either cancelling or indefinitely postponing all meets. The Boston Marathon, one of many international meets dominated by Kenyans, was cancelled for the first time in its 124-year history. Dozens of other cancellations followed in quick succession, with even the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo rescheduled to an uncertain 2021.
The situation with local athletic events is just as dire. The Lewa Safari Marathon,a major annual event that raises funds for rhino conservation, along with other events initially planned for the first half of the year, have been cancelled, or are set to take place virtually.
It remains to be seen if other significant events slated for later in the year, including the popular Standard Chartered Marathon and Ndakaini Half Marathon, will be held. Even training camps have been disrupted, shuttering the dreams of budding runners.
For many Kenyan athletes, these disruptions have been devastating. The common notion that athletes are millionaires is only valid for a few elite ones who have found success in major global races. Thousands of sportsmen and women, especially those at the beginning of their careers, do not have stable income streams. According to Kipchoge, up to 80% of athletes depend on their participation in races in Europe and Asia to earn a living. Therefore, any disruptions in the global racing circuit has a severe impact on their financial security.
Many upcoming athletes are having a difficult time putting meals on their tables with no track events to partake in. Several of them have been forced into casual labor, including on construction sites, or even washing clothes. These disruptions to their primary sources of income are also harming the mental health of many athletes, with some sports psychologists offering help via free online counseling sessions. If the problem persists for several months, it threatens to destroy the careers of many athletes. Lack of proper food and mental instability limits their ability to train and remain competitive.
Recognizing the scale of the problem, the Kenyan government recently stepped in to assist the most vulnerable of athletes. The Ministry of Sports has started distributing food donations- financed by government as well as private sector donations, — to a targeted 2,000 affected athletes via the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation. The National Olympics Committee-Kenya (NOC-K) also launched a similar initiative to provide food for retired and paraplegic athletes.
These projects are designed to offer affected athletes with the food they need to feed their families as well as themselves, and to give them the physical (and mental) energy to continue practicing. Although such efforts are commendable, they are short-term measures at best, and are unlikely to reach all affected athletes over a sustained period. Some athletes may find success in the emerging world of virtual sports, but, sadly, many may not only continue to struggle to put food on the table, but may have to give up their dreams as well.
Written by Atula Owade
This article is part of Covid-19 Food/Future, an initiative under TMG ThinkTank for Sustainability’s SEWOH Lab project (https://www.tmg-thinktank.com/sewoh-lab). It aims at providing a unique and direct insight into the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on national and local food systems. Also follow @CovidFoodFuture, our Video Diaries From Nairobi, and @TMG_think on Twitter. Funding for this initiative is provided by BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
