NAIROBI, April 3 -- Marathoner Aliphine Tuliamuk hopes the world will move past the COVID-19 pandemic and see sports flourish as before.
Kenyan-turned-American Tuliamuk, who will be leading the U.S. marathon team to the Tokyo Olympics, said the difficulties she endured in Kenya's Rift Valley, where she was a budding athlete over 20 years ago, has made her resilient and she believes she will overcome the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
"I think what I really want is for the world to heal so that all of us can pursue, and hopefully achieve, any of our individual and collective goals in life," Tuliamuk said on Friday.
At the turn of the millennium, the future 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion was just another promising young runner in the Rift Valley province of her native Kenya.
Only 11 years old, she was selected to compete in the Rift Valley's regional meeting in the 10,000m after outracing older girls in the arduous event.
On their way to the competition, her coach - Geoffrey Ptormos, a distant relative of Tuliamuk's - arranged for Tegla Loroupe to come to meet the team.
The local Kapenguria legend was training for the 2000 Olympic Games as the favorite for the marathon and the 5,000m, and by then had captured two New York City Marathon titles, three World Championship half marathon titles, and was the world record holder in the marathon twice over, with her best effort of 2:20:43 standing until September 2001.
But Tuliamuk didn't know any of that quite yet. Instead, it was Loroupe who was quite taken with the young runner's abilities.
"The athletes I had beaten in the 10,000 were way older than me, so Tegla was very impressed by my performances," Tuliamuk remembers. "She ended up giving me a pair of shoes and she became my hero instantly."
Tuliamuk didn't race in the brand-new flats right away ("I wasn't used to wearing shoes and racing, I thought they would hold me back.") but she treasured the gift, saving the new shoes for special occasions.
"It meant the world to me," she says. "I was barefoot at the time, so to get this really beautiful, clean pair of shoes from her was awesome."
Now with the hope of running in the Olympics for her adopted country, Tuliamuk can dare to live her dream despite the spread of COVID-19, which has put a pause on proceedings in the world over.
"I am grateful thus far, my immediate family, friends, and I are healthy and safe, the consequences of COVID-19 have definitely impacted my plans - both for my career and my life - and that has been difficult to come to terms with," Tuliamuk said.
But she still hopes to win her first Olympic medal.
"It's scary not knowing what the future holds. As an athlete, my goal is to bring home a medal for my country. But I think what I really want is for the world to heal so that all of us can pursue, and hopefully achieve, any of our individual and collective goals in life. That hope, that new dream, is what will keep me running," she said.
国内英语资讯:China, Switzerland pledge to advance military-to-military cooperation
体坛英语资讯:Europe set for three extra slots in expanded World Cup
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第1周 各司其职的8大句子成分(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮复习技能提升练:选修8 Unit 5《Meeting your ancestors》(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第18周 图画作文(新人教版含解析)
国内英语资讯:China opposes Indias invitation of Dalai Lama to visit disputed areas
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第14周 字顺意畅的衔接(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第3周 考场作文常见的3类错误及防范措施(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第6周 富有文采的状语从句(新人教版含解析)
国内英语资讯:China calls for more cooperation with Serbia within 16+1 framework
2017届高考英语一轮语法复习练:第3讲 介词与介词短语(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮复习技能提升练:选修8 Unit 4《Pygmalion》(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第11周 彰显水平的强调句型、倒装句型和There be句型(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第12周 用途各异的被动、虚拟语气、倍数和比较句型(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修9 unit 4(新人教版)
国内英语资讯:State Council appoints Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor HKSAR chief executive
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修7 unit 4(新人教版)
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修7 unit 1(新人教版)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第10周 言简意明的非谓语动词(新人教版含解析)
体坛英语资讯:Copa America could feature European teams - report
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第4周 不落俗套的亮点词汇(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮语法复习练:第4讲 定语从句(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修9 unit 1(新人教版)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第7周 吸引眼球的定语从句(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修7 unit 3(新人教版)
2017届高考英语一轮复习技能提升练:选修8 Unit 2《Cloning》(新人教版含解析)
体坛英语资讯:FC Bayern Munich to set up full-time football school in southern China
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修9 unit 2(新人教版)
2017届高考英语一轮循环写作周周练:第15周 提纲作文(新人教版含解析)
2017届高考英语一轮复习指导课件:选修9 unit 3(新人教版)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |