Keino’s Golden Efforts Turn To Education

Some days you simply don’t believe your eyes. And today was one of them.

In doing my morning check to see if we had new friend requests for our Facebook Friends of Schools Building Communities page, I was thrilled to see that Kenya Olympic legend Kip Keino has signed up.

Keino — a two-time Gold medalist (1500m in 1968, steeplechase in 1972) — was profiled in 2004 by CNN:

The first black African to break onto the international stage at the beginning of the 1960s, Kip Keino won two Olympic golds and was a formidable force in the sport for 12 years. Other athletes would win more golds, but few would win races and hold records at all distances from 1500 meters to 10,000m.

So if I were you, by now I’d be asking, “How did Kip Keino find out about Schools Building Communities?”

Actually, I have an answer. Keino has deep connections to the Cornell University track and field program. One of the coaches there, Kevin Thompson, is the executive director of Cross World Africa, an organization devoted to providing educational opportunities in the U.S. for African youth as well as cross cultural exchange, economic assistance and health and wellness support. Just this past summer, I worked with Kevin and his wife Michelle on a story to promote a Kenyan visit from a Cornell track contingent. (That’s Kevin and Michelle with Kip in the photo taken by Derek Alvez)

They worked closely with Keino, who is not just an advocate of education, he lives it. He opened an elementary/middle school in his hometown of Eldoret (a sister city to Indianapolis) and now houses, feeds and educates more than 300 orphans and children.

We are very pleased to be associated with Kip Keino because his heart is indeed far larger than his prodigious athletic gifts. We truly hope to collaborate with he and his school in the future.

Watch Keino win his first Olympic gold medal (beating out American distance running legend Jim Ryun) in Mexico City below: