Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala has attributed his newly found love for training sessions to the dedication of his coach.
In a Tuesday interview with NTV, Omanyala said he used to hate training before he met his new coach, Geoffrey Kimani.
"I have always hated training. I have never loved training. I’ve been looking forward to races as a safe space for my mind," the 28-year-old 100-metre champion said.
"Since I started working with him, I've always looked forward to training."
Omanyala further highlighted the benefits of the training sessions with his new coach and how they have impacted his mental health.
"I am in the perfect place right now, because this season we are going in with different mentality... Handling each day as it comes, I'm not going into the races with expectations," Omanyala said.
The sprinter noted that Kimani's coaching involves him setting targets for his trainees, which has helped him build a competitive spirit.
This, he says, has also eliminated what he terms as 'showboating' during training.
Kimani has extensive coaching experience in a variety of sports, including rugby, soccer, and athletics.
He is a former National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) Strength and Conditioning lead consultant for Team Kenya.
Omanyala is set to represent Kenya at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on March 1-3.
