Reigning Africa Under-20 javelin champion Irene Jepkemboi wants Kenyans to embrace javelin as part of the athletics disciplines that require immediate attention.
Jepkemboi has had a good run in her career this year, winning both the East Africa Under-20 Athletics championships in Dar-es-salaam and the Confederation of Africa Under-20 Championships in Lusaka, Zambia.
She said talents in the field events are not given much support like their track counterparts.
With ambitions to represent the country at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Jepkemboi is optimistic she will make the Kenya team to Budapest.
“Winning gold in succession was not just good for me but for the country at large.
"I am always encouraged to aim higher in this field that is not celebrated much by many Kenyans who seem not ready to embrace javelin as a sport.
"However, I want to make a difference just the way Yego (Julius) did in his career that was looked down upon,” said Jepkemboi.
She said wearing national colours at her age was an honour for her and moving forward, she wants to make history as the first woman to succeed in the javelin in Kenya.
“Javelin has taken me places and I am encouraged by what I always achieve. Since many people don’t value it, I have embraced it and my training at Complete Sports has given me an upper hand to sharpen my skills,” says Jepkemboi, a former AIC Kaptebengewet High School alumnus.
While in school, she managed to win two gold medals at the East Africa Schools games after joining Form One in 2019.
“I won two gold medals in the javelin while in school in East Africa show. When I joined Form One in 2019, I won my first gold just before the coronavirus ravaged the country and come 2022, I won another gold. In 2020 and 2021, there were no sports although I would have loved to win all four gold medals while in high school,” said the 19-year-old thrower.
With no woman to look up to as her role model in the javelin, she banks her hopes and ambitions on 2016 Olympics silver medallist and former world champion Julius Yego for guidance.
With her journey focused on Budapest, she said she will train hard first to improve her personal best before making it to Hungary.
“I want to train to reach the highest standards in my career, set national records and represent this country at the World Championships,” she says.