Kenya is known for a lot of things. The East African nation is famous for being home to the Big Five, the Great Wildebeest Migration and amazing beaches. Year in and out, tourists flood in from all over the world to see what the country has to offer.
However, apart from the food, rich history and breathtaking nature, the country is also known for its famous faces and world record-breaking athletes.
This article focuses on a few of the record breaking athletes and how they came, saw and conquered the world
David Rudisha
Born and raised in Kenya, David Lekuta Rudisha, is a middle-distance runner. However, David is not your regular middle distance runner, he is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Champion, two-time World Champion, and world record holder in the 800 metres run. He began running from an early age and at 18 became the 800m junior World Champion. David was born to a family of runners with his father winning a silver medal at the 1968 Olympics as part of the Kenyan 4 × 400m relay team, whilst his mother is a former 400m hurdler.
After suffering an injury in 2019 that forced him into early retirement, David spends his time coaching, motivating and inspiring the next generation of Kenyan record breakers. Fun fact, the world record breaker is an avid Arsenal supporter.
McDonald Mariga
Retired soccer star McDonald Mariga is another one of the biggest sports stars to come out of Kenya. The talented football player was so good at his craft that he began playing for national teams whilst he was still in highschool. In 2005 the midfielder moved to Europe and spent several years playing for Swedish teams. Mariga made history in 2019 by becoming the first Kenyan footballer to play in the UEFA Champions League after he was signed as a midfielder to the Italian team Inter Milan. His career continued to skyrocket however Mariga retired in 2019 and moved back to Kenya where he joined the political scene.
Victor Wanyama
Coming from a sporting family, Victor was destined for greatness from birth. At the tender age of 15, Wanyama made his debut for the Kenyan National team in a friendly game against Nigeria’s Super Eagles. From then on, his career took an upward trajectory as he went on to play in all of Kenya's games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In 2013 he was made captain of the national team and in 2019 played in the Africa Cup of Nations. Victor went on to play for international teams such as Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur. Fun fact Victor and McDonald are brothers.