Chris Musumba
24 May 2011
Nairobi — “Dad went to town; he will come and take me to Japan,” said four-year-old Ann Wanjiru, Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru’s daughter.
As the baby class pupil spoke, donning her father’s medals, she and her younger brother Simon Njoroge seemed unaware their father is dead.
Athletics Kenya executives, led by vice-chairman Jackson Tuwei, had visited Wanjiru’s home on Tuesday to condole with the icon’s family.
“We have a programme to educate young athletes on how to live and balance between family and their fast life on the track,” said Tuwei.
“We are very saddened by the loss of such a great talent, the first to bring Olympic marathon glory to us.”
His audience included Wanjiru’s widow, Teresia Njeri, his brother Simon Njoroge, his agent Federico Rosa, the runner’s funeral organising committee chairman, Charles Kamathi, and more than 200 athletes from Nyahururu.
Support and encouragement
“We will provide all support and encouragement to see that Wanjiru’s family lives well,” said Tuwei. “He left behind very young children and we want them to grow just as he would have wished.”
The AK delegation also included public relations officer Peter Angwenyi and Mary Chege.
Angwenyi recalled that on the fateful day Wanjiru had facilated more than 15 athletes to travel to the Coast for the Mombasa Marathon.
Njeri pleaded with the family to reconcile and ensure her husband is accorded the hero’s sendoff he deserved: “It is trying and I want all this to end. We will overcome it.
“But more important is for this young boy, Simon, to live his father’s dream and become an athlete.
“He is the reason I have to live. At one-and-a-half years he is very active and he runs, too. Just like his father. Who knows, he may be a star one day.”
The delegation could not meet Wanjiru’s mother, Hannah, whose whereabouts were unknown.
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Kenya: Athletic Association Officials Condole Wanjiru’s Family, Pledge Support