Birmingham, United Kingdom — In this sport, however small or big the championship might be, you can’t just succeed with a magic wand!
Success is gained over time and that’s when an athlete starts reaping the rewards.
For Beatrice Chebet fresh from winning silver at Oregon World Championships, beating Scot Eilish McColgan to the coveted 1500 meters gold at Birmingham’s Club Games was the culmination of a scintillating track experience.
“The year has been very good for me. I took gold at the Africa Championships, silver at the World Championships in Oregon and gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which to me is good progress,” said the 22-year-old Chebet.
Chebet goes on to explain that athletes of her caliber will not expect a magic wand in one year or two years.
“It has to be a process. It’s sheer hard work and I’m glad Kenyans are proud of me. I thank each and everyone who prayed for my success in Birmingham,” she said.
“We have run together mostly with McColgan and I can attest to the fact that she is such a good runner; my body felt good in the final so I knew I would humble her in the long run.”
Chebet will be headed for the Lausanne Diamond League on August 29th where she hopes to pick up from where she left at the Club Games.
-Obiri’s Piece of Advice-
“The last Diamond League last year we had a chat with (Hellen) Obiri and she told me that she is about to call time on track career and advised me to strive for success in my races. She told me that I had the potential to go far if I remain levelheaded and disciplined.”
“There was immense pressure on social media as fans encouraged me to go for it and that the Birmingham medal will be all mine. I didn’t take their sentiments for granted.”
-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Birmingham, United Kingdom-