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Lilian Odira, the latest 800m runner turning heads has gotten candid about when she ventured into athletics and her motivation of becoming a world champion one day.
Lilian Odira has narrated her journey from pursuing athletics from high school to sealing Olympic ticket o Paris, France.
Odira noted that growing up, she loved watching athletes compete and being crowned world championships and she wanted to make it to the big stage one day. She started running seriously in high school and achieved some accolades including winning a bronze medal at the East African Athletics Championships in 2016.
That was when Odira knew she was destined for greatness and decided to venture into the sport fully. After high school, she joined Kenya Prisons Service and there was when she took her first maternity break. She came back shortly but then took another maternity break before bouncing back last year.
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12:36 - 14.07.2024
Mary Moraa reveals specific Olympic targets, reflects on the one race that transformed her career
Moraa will be competing in both the 400 and 800m at the upcoming Olympic games in Paris, and she has revealed her targets at the event, as well as the one race that changed her career.
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“I’ve always been inspired by a lot of athletes and I started my journey when I was in high school and my parents have always been there for me and they have supported me to this time. I used to see people being world champions and they were being honored and recognised and I felt good and I also wanted to be recognised as a world champion one day and that has always been my aim,” Odira said.
“In 2016, I was a national champion in high school and the same year, I became the bronze medallist at the East Africa Championships and from there I went to Prisons and trained and then when I finished my training, I went for my maternity break,” she added.
Odira explained that this season, her main focus was to qualify for at least one event this year. However, luck was on her side and she managed to make the cut to the African Games then later competed at the African Championships.
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17:00 - 12.07.2024
Vivian Chebet's story of luck from finishing fifth at Olympic trials to receiving late call up to women's 800m team
Vivian Chebet had already lost hope of making the Olympic team after finishing fifth at the Kenyan Olympic trials but luck knocked on her door and she will be flying Kenya's flag high in the women's 800m following new developments.
Odira will also be making her debut at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, something she never saw coming. Going to the Olympics, the 25-year-old dreams of making it to the final and hopefully finishing in the podium bracket.
“This is my second year bouncing back from my maternity and my aim was to make it to one of the national teams because we had the African Games, Africa Senior Championships, world relays and now the Olympics,” she said.
“My aim in Paris is to get my personal best time and hopefully make it to the final…that’s what I want for myself. Anything is possible and I know we can achieve a podium finish,” Odira added.
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