Hey all! The Kenya Krew’s second week in Iten has been nothing short of amazing. Student-athletes and coaches from the Hotchkiss School arrived Monday afternoon. The group consists of five boys—Q, James, Nick, Felix, and Isaias–and Abby, Annabel, and Nina. We spent the day relaxing, getting to know each other, and letting the Hotchkiss group adjust to altitude. Time was devoted to discussing group and individual goals for the trip, with a heavy emphasis on making the most of the short trip to Kenya.

On Tuesday, the group split into smaller teams as we ventured into downtown Iten. We completed a scavenger hunt which took us to different shops, marketplaces, and schools with the help of the friendly locals. Q, a recent graduate of Hotchkiss, nearly fainted and learned a valuable lesson about hydrating at higher altitudes. Nonetheless, he maintained a positive attitude and eagerly continued on. Overall, the most popular activity from the scavenger hunt was playing billiards with Iten residents. Later, we visited Kamariny Primary School for after-school PE. The boys played soccer while the girls opted to sing, dance, and play volleyball. In the evening Cam gave the first of the intern-led STRIVE talks where he discussed making the activities you do an extension of your identity but not your whole identity.

Wednesday was equally exciting. The group began the day with our first service project: painting the inside of a new classroom at Kiptabus Primary School. While James placed tape around the border of the soon-to-be blackboard, the girls began painting. After lunch, we went back to Kamariny Primary. This time, we brought a frisbee for the students to play with. It was a huge hit with the kids and everyone cheered when Nick caught a hail-Mary pass in ultimate frisbee. At dinner, we were fortunate enough to meet Lornah Kiplagat, 16-time world champion and founder of the HATC. She was incredibly approachable, taking questions from the group and posing for many group pictures. We capped the night off with Colin’s STRIVE talk about mental health, self-care, and support structures.

This morning started with an electrifying fartlek workout, a Kenyan group run that occurs every Tuesday and Thursday. As we are publishing the blog, the Hotchkiss group are back in downtown Iten to purchase some Kenya running gear and other souvenirs. This afternoon, we look forward to returning to Kiptabus for our first PE session with their students.

We have had such a great time getting to know the Hotchkiss group and sharing such an amazing adventure together. After we finish painting the Kiptabus classroom tomorrow we will embark on weekend adventures!

Wishing everyone back home well and stay tuned for more updates.

-Fran, Cat, Cam, and Colin #KenyaKrew