Now that the STRIVE high school student-athletes have arrived in Iten, we dedicate this blog to introducing the new members of our group. Here is a brief bio of each high school student:

 

Sarah, 17, Lexington (Virginia)

“I’m most excited about working and teaching children and getting to experience Kenyan culture. I want to talk to people and learn about their daily lives…One goal of mine is to learn how to train better and gain expertise from other athletes…I’m going to miss the food when I get home!”

Jason, 18, Beijing (China)

“I’m most excited to meet the people in Iten, especially those who are different than people back home. I’m interested to learn about the different perspectives and their lives in general…a big goal of mine is to lose 15 pounds. I did throwing events in track but I need to transition to my cross-country figure…a fun fact about me is that I’ve been on T.V. a lot. I was on the national spelling bee championships for China and I did voiceover recordings for a poetry television show. Unfortunately, the production company never aired the show and I was never paid (but the on-set food was okay)!”

Peter, 16, Brooklyn (New York)

“I’m most excited to run in the massive Iten fartlek workouts. It’s a large part of the Kenyan running culture and I may get to meet some professional runners…my goal this trip is to experience the Kenyan culture—specifically learning Swahili and learning about their everyday lives–and make the service work beneficial for me and the primary school children.” A fun fact about Peter is that he sunk six shots in a row to win the group Knockout game.

Natalie, 16, Simsbury (Connecticut)

“I’m most excited to help teach and work for the kids…my goal is to immerse myself in the Kenyan culture and learn more about social customs…I hope to challenge myself athletically and mentally while in Kenya.”

Tasha, 17, Basalt (Colorado)

“I’m excited to get out of my hometown which only has people of two races and most people are moderately wealthy. I’m also excited to be in a community in which running is so appreciated…my goal is to become a better runner and learn about the Kenyan culture…I appreciate this opportunity to immerse myself in a different country.”

Sophie, 17, New Richmond (Wisconsin)

“I’m really excited to see more of Iten. Playing pool with the local Kenyans was one of the most enriching cultural experiences that I’ve had. This is the first time I’ve been to Africa and also the first time I’ve traveled to an English-speaking country outside of the U.S. and I’m definitely a bit out of my comfort zone…my goal is to run a four-miler by the end of the trip without hip pain…I’m really excited to be here and the weather is so nice! I’m not ready to go back to the mid-west humidity and mosquitos. There are far fewer bugs here which is nice.”

 

Stay tuned for more Kenya Krew updates!