As a Brit, I was certainly proud to see at the weekend that GB have yet again proudly romped home to win the Tour de France. First Sir Bradley Wiggins, now Chris Froome.
Kenyan-born Chris actually started his cycling career on the outskirts of Nairobi, in a tiny village where he spent his childhood. Indeed, he actually rode for Kenya in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
In his words about his childhood in Kenya:
“As a child, it’s got to be one of the best places to ever grow up,You’ve got so much freedom. I had my little bike and I would go out and see my friends. I just lived an outdoor lifestyle. We were about 30 minutes from the city, out in a residential area. On weekends, my mother would take me down to the Great Rift Valley road, which is very bush. A very rural area.”
As a teenager, Chris met the captain of the Kenyan cycling team, David Kinjah, and he references him as being his inspiration to embrace competitive cycling. Today, Kinjah remembers those early days with Chris clearly, and is very proud of his protege.
So thank you Kenya, for inspiring someone that we also are very proud of!