Motivation
I’m fascinated by the physiological, social, political, psychological and health implications of running. There is no place like Eastern Africa to explore the tremendous impact that running can have in changing life trajectories for the better.
Among the most developed countries in Eastern Africa, Kenya touts with agricultural resources, industrial advancement, and tourism, yet, paradoxically, the country ranks near the bottom—at 148th of 177 countries—on United Nations Development Program’s human development index [1]. This arid land, which produces such able bodies, lacks the provisioning of basic needs. Kenya struggles with low literacy and life expectancy rates [2]. Among the effects is the fact that, in neighboring Ethiopia, a girl is more likely to die in childbirth than reach the sixth grade [3]. While most economists who study the developing world focus on Kenya's myriad resources, there is also an, as yet, not fully understood resource in the form of athletic aptitude. Indeed, Ethiopian and Kenyan runners have dominated the Boston marathon for the past two decades; males have secured 23 of the past 25 Boston marathon victories, and females, 13 over the past 15 years [4]. I hope to join efforts that help to promote these alternative solutions that begin by capitalizing upon the region’s strengths.
Girls Gotta Run Foundation: Team Naftech by Sarah Murray
Take a look at what GGRF does, why they do it, and some of the girls they have helped. A profile of Team Naftech, an amateur Ethiopian girls' running team supported by the Girls Gotta Run Foundation.
Running has provided me with more than I could ever give back. I have been granted a Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Public Service Fellowship to travel and serve in Ethiopia and Kenya for six months. I am excited to explore East Africa, running all the way!
Stated Mission
1. To live and immerse myself in a culture of running. To better understand the culture of running in East Africa, its inspiration and its implications, particularly for families, girls, and communities in poverty.
2. To share my love for running with the the young women on the Girls Gotta Run and Running Across Borders teams in and surrounding Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the children at the Baraka Children's Home in Nyeri, Kenya.
3. To assist the young athletes in learning English, necessary for international competition. And to help the girls become more independent in managing the food budget.
4. To explore the health situation in East Africa through an untraditional lens, that of lifestyle choices and preventative medicine. This travel may provide me with an invaluable and alternative perspective into the dire health situation in East Africa, a region that I am interested in engaging with as public health policy maker or in serving as a doctor in the future.
5. To share with all of you what I've learned about the motivation and atmosphere surrounding running in East Africa. Running as a means out of poverty is under-reported in headlines that blast Kenyan and Ethiopian marathon victories. A medal at a national race isn’t just the victory of an individual, but reaps benefits for an entire family or community and provides a route out of poverty. I hope to raise awareness surrounding the poverty that drives many of these victories, dramatically different from my own drive to run.
I’m fascinated by the physiological, social, political, psychological and health implications of running. There is no place like Eastern Africa to explore the tremendous impact that running can have in changing life trajectories for the better.
Among the most developed countries in Eastern Africa, Kenya touts with agricultural resources, industrial advancement, and tourism, yet, paradoxically, the country ranks near the bottom—at 148th of 177 countries—on United Nations Development Program’s human development index [1]. This arid land, which produces such able bodies, lacks the provisioning of basic needs. Kenya struggles with low literacy and life expectancy rates [2]. Among the effects is the fact that, in neighboring Ethiopia, a girl is more likely to die in childbirth than reach the sixth grade [3]. While most economists who study the developing world focus on Kenya's myriad resources, there is also an, as yet, not fully understood resource in the form of athletic aptitude. Indeed, Ethiopian and Kenyan runners have dominated the Boston marathon for the past two decades; males have secured 23 of the past 25 Boston marathon victories, and females, 13 over the past 15 years [4]. I hope to join efforts that help to promote these alternative solutions that begin by capitalizing upon the region’s strengths.
Girls Gotta Run Foundation: Team Naftech by Sarah Murray
Take a look at what GGRF does, why they do it, and some of the girls they have helped. A profile of Team Naftech, an amateur Ethiopian girls' running team supported by the Girls Gotta Run Foundation.
The 13-year-old Tesdale Mesele, in Ethiopia, describes her motivation, "I run so the boys know I'm strong and don't harass me…I also run because I want to give priority to my schooling. If I'm a good runner, the school will want me to stay and not be home washing laundry.” [5] Tesdale may never break a world record. However, her running is not in vain; the daily engagement provides her with the means to excel in every aspect of her life. East African runners believe in the power of running to lift them out of the oppressive economics of limited opportunity in the developing world.
As a long-distance runner trained in human evolutionary biology, I am fascinated by the motivations that spur great athletes in track and field—from biological aptitude and wellbeing to career pursuits. I am drawn to the East African runners who dominate distance running. Is it the drive, the raw need, the inspiration in the potential to relinquish their whole family—immediate and extended—from poverty? Or do Kenyans really have something biological, physiological, or psychological that most of the rest of us lack? Certainly, the high altitude of the East African highlands aids in East African runners’ success, providing ideal training conditions. These runners’ biomechanics, which is genetically inscribed , also supports their athletic dominance. More importantly, I believe that something else rests at the heart of their athletic achievement, namely the cultural imperative of running.
As a long-distance runner trained in human evolutionary biology, I am fascinated by the motivations that spur great athletes in track and field—from biological aptitude and wellbeing to career pursuits. I am drawn to the East African runners who dominate distance running. Is it the drive, the raw need, the inspiration in the potential to relinquish their whole family—immediate and extended—from poverty? Or do Kenyans really have something biological, physiological, or psychological that most of the rest of us lack? Certainly, the high altitude of the East African highlands aids in East African runners’ success, providing ideal training conditions. These runners’ biomechanics, which is genetically inscribed , also supports their athletic dominance. More importantly, I believe that something else rests at the heart of their athletic achievement, namely the cultural imperative of running.
Running has provided me with more than I could ever give back. I have been granted a Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Public Service Fellowship to travel and serve in Ethiopia and Kenya for six months. I am excited to explore East Africa, running all the way!
Stated Mission
1. To live and immerse myself in a culture of running. To better understand the culture of running in East Africa, its inspiration and its implications, particularly for families, girls, and communities in poverty.
2. To share my love for running with the the young women on the Girls Gotta Run and Running Across Borders teams in and surrounding Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the children at the Baraka Children's Home in Nyeri, Kenya.
3. To assist the young athletes in learning English, necessary for international competition. And to help the girls become more independent in managing the food budget.
4. To explore the health situation in East Africa through an untraditional lens, that of lifestyle choices and preventative medicine. This travel may provide me with an invaluable and alternative perspective into the dire health situation in East Africa, a region that I am interested in engaging with as public health policy maker or in serving as a doctor in the future.
5. To share with all of you what I've learned about the motivation and atmosphere surrounding running in East Africa. Running as a means out of poverty is under-reported in headlines that blast Kenyan and Ethiopian marathon victories. A medal at a national race isn’t just the victory of an individual, but reaps benefits for an entire family or community and provides a route out of poverty. I hope to raise awareness surrounding the poverty that drives many of these victories, dramatically different from my own drive to run.
[1] “Rural poverty in Kenya.” Rural Poverty Portal. IFAS. 2011. http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/kenya
[2] “Causes of Poverty in Kenya.” Kenya-Advisor. http://www.kenya-advisor.com/index.html
[3] Wax, Emily. “Facing Servitude, Ethiopian Girls Run for a Better Life.” 29 December, 2005. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/28/AR2005122801369.html
[4] "Records." Boston Marathon. Boston Athletic Association. 2011. http://www.baa.org/Races/Boston-Marathon.aspx
[5] Wax.
[2] “Causes of Poverty in Kenya.” Kenya-Advisor. http://www.kenya-advisor.com/index.html
[3] Wax, Emily. “Facing Servitude, Ethiopian Girls Run for a Better Life.” 29 December, 2005. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/28/AR2005122801369.html
[4] "Records." Boston Marathon. Boston Athletic Association. 2011. http://www.baa.org/Races/Boston-Marathon.aspx
[5] Wax.
Whoohoo!
ReplyDeletewow Helen! You have certainly done your research. We'll miss you but I know you'll have an awesome (for lack of a better word) experience. I even cut and pasted g and h into this just for you! (they are missing from my keyboard- thanks to Langston).
ReplyDeleteHelen
ReplyDeleteWhat I have read so far in your blog is phenomenal. You are creating the material for a book about your experiences. You write beautifully.
Love Liz