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Kenyan marathon legend Catherine Ndereba has explained why athletes struggle upon retirement having enjoyed successful careers.
Retired marathoner Catherine Ndereba has revealed three things that leave athletes in miserable conditions upon retirement.
Known for her unparalleled achievements in the marathon world, Ndereba’s decision to step away from the sport without fanfare was driven by persistent health issues.
Between 2003 and 2008, Ndereba consistently finished in the top two in five successive global championship marathons.
She twice won the marathon at the World Championships and secured silver medals at the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, making her Kenya’s first female multi-medalist.
Her accolades also include four Boston Marathon victories and two wins in Chicago. It was at the latter in 2001 that she broke the women’s marathon world record with a time of 2:18:47. In 2008, the Chicago Tribune’s Philip Hersh described her as the greatest women’s marathoner of all time.
Ndereba, who works in the Kenyan Prison Service, has lived a stable life since her retirement, having set herself up well for life after her running days. The same cannot be said of other athletes, especially from a financial point of view.
“Just as we celebrate heroes when they win, we should also keep contact with them because it is one thing to win and another to maintain that kind of life," Ndereba said on the Safari za Mabingwa show by Oga Obina.
Stressing about a lack of financial literacy, Ndereba pointed this out as the biggest thing that affects athletes, especially those from yesteryears.
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Catherine Ndereba narrates encounter with a 'crazy' fan years after retirement
Marathon legend Catherine Ndereba has opened up about an embarrassing moment she had with a fan in the streets of Nairobi, Kenya's capital.
“Currently, it is happening because when you have these sponsors coming through for the athletes, they have done something. During my time and during the days of Paul Tergat and the rest, it was not there," she added.
“Many people out there would take advantage of your naivety and a majority of our sports men and women go through that.”
Kenya has seen an incredibly high number of doping cases which has resulted in the country risk the wrath of a ban by World Athletics, and despite financial commitments by the government to the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya to fight the battle back in 2022, more cases have emerged.
Ndereba has, however, advised athletes against performance-enhancing substances.
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Catherine Ndereba, the first Kenyan woman to win the Boston Marathon, has opened up about being the voice of Kenyan women and how she started her marathon career.
“They should not get enticed to doping regardless of what because those shortcuts will come back to haunt them, and the payback will be more painful," she said.
“Yes they will make little money, but little do they know they are ruining their health, and it is that money they will use to treat themselves. Probably, someone will suffer and if not lucky, they could die early.
“We also have this problem of being people pleasers. That if we don’t give fans something, they view us badly.”
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13:00 - 29.05.2024
Catherine Ndereba shares key message with Olympic debutants
Legendary marathoner Catherine Ndereba has shared an important message with Olympic debutants who will be looking to fly the Kenyan flag high at the Paris Olympic Games.
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