Henry Rono, 70, broke many world records in track in his college years, but the rest of his life was defined by addiction.
To most, his greatest accomplishment was when he broke the world record in four events: 3,000-meter, 5,000 meter, and 10,000 meter run as well as the 3,000-meter steeplechase. This was an accomplishment never heard of then nor now; steeplechase and flat ground are two very distinct disciplines with different training methods. But to Rono himself, that’s not his greatest accomplishment. It is when he enrolled in community college and mastered the English language. He said “[r]unning was second nature. Education was my weakness.”
Rono’s early years were tragic. He was not able to walk until he was 6 due to a biking accident. His father died and the family struggled as a result; he was in and out of school while his mother scraped together fees for simple things such as food and rent. Kipchoge Keino, who is from a nearby village, inspired Rono to start running.
His running abilities progressed and he was supposed to be a part of the 1976 Montreal Olympics, but the Kenyan government announced a boycott against New Zealand being able to participate. The New Zealand rugby team was journeying through South Africa, which encouraged apartheid at the time.
He was recruited to Washington State University shortly after missing the Olympics. He struggled adjusting to his new life in the United States, and he said that running was a way to “release tension.”
After graduation, he struggled with personal issues. He drank and he was careless with money: his cash was stolen on planes and was conned. Soon, he was living with various friends across the country and attending alcohol-addiction rehab. He worked a variety of jobs such as parking cars, ringing the bell for Salvation Army, and pushing people in wheelchairs at an airport.
As time passed and paying rent became harder, he was drawn back to Kenya. In 2019, he returned home.
In his book, Olympic Dream, he tells his tales looking fondly to the past reflecting on running, but also happiness with his current life.
Link to source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657470344211x675123863612799400/Henry%20Rono%E2%80%99s%20Long%20Road%20Back%20Home%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
To most, his greatest accomplishment was when he broke the world record in four events: 3,000-meter, 5,000 meter, and 10,000 meter run as well as the 3,000-meter steeplechase. This was an accomplishment never heard of then nor now; steeplechase and flat ground are two very distinct disciplines with different training methods. But to Rono himself, that’s not his greatest accomplishment. It is when he enrolled in community college and mastered the English language. He said “[r]unning was second nature. Education was my weakness.”
Rono’s early years were tragic. He was not able to walk until he was 6 due to a biking accident. His father died and the family struggled as a result; he was in and out of school while his mother scraped together fees for simple things such as food and rent. Kipchoge Keino, who is from a nearby village, inspired Rono to start running.
His running abilities progressed and he was supposed to be a part of the 1976 Montreal Olympics, but the Kenyan government announced a boycott against New Zealand being able to participate. The New Zealand rugby team was journeying through South Africa, which encouraged apartheid at the time.
He was recruited to Washington State University shortly after missing the Olympics. He struggled adjusting to his new life in the United States, and he said that running was a way to “release tension.”
After graduation, he struggled with personal issues. He drank and he was careless with money: his cash was stolen on planes and was conned. Soon, he was living with various friends across the country and attending alcohol-addiction rehab. He worked a variety of jobs such as parking cars, ringing the bell for Salvation Army, and pushing people in wheelchairs at an airport.
As time passed and paying rent became harder, he was drawn back to Kenya. In 2019, he returned home.
In his book, Olympic Dream, he tells his tales looking fondly to the past reflecting on running, but also happiness with his current life.
Link to source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657470344211x675123863612799400/Henry%20Rono%E2%80%99s%20Long%20Road%20Back%20Home%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf