Daniel Ebenyo has revealed his joy in celebrating teammates’ victories, noting that being the only one winning races is not fun.
Most of the time, athletes go into races with a mindset of winning over their competitors but that is not the case for the likes of Daniel Ebenyo.
Ebenyo actually finds satisfaction in seeing his competitors winning and not just any competitor but his countrymen. You might argue why he finds that okay since athletics is just a career and everyone is always toeing the line with the aim of emerging as a winner and walking away with the highest prize money.
The world 10,000m silver medallist revealed that at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, he never won a medal but was elated when Jacob Krop claimed the silver medal in the 5000m and went to celebrate with him.
Donovan Bailey hailed Letsile Tebogo, Ferdinand Omanyala, and Akani Simbine as the future of sprinting.
In 2023, Ebenyo was also shortlisted for the 2023 International Fair Play Award following his sportsmanship where he saluted his Kenyan teammate Sabastian Sawe at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga. He has always been supportive of his teammates during race and that character of his is not stopping anytime soon.
“I was telling them that we need to work hard because the whole nation was looking at us and it was not good for us to lose. When we are running, sometimes we are not the only ones doing it and even those who are seated are always running,” Ebenyo said in an interview with Sports Wave Africa Foundation.
“One thing that matters to me is that I love when we win, which might be my big problem. I love it when we do things together and produce great results. I don’t like it when I’m the only one winning. In Oregon, in the 5000m, I finished 10th but I went to celebrate with Krop who had finished second because when he wins I win and Kenya wins.”
He added that Kenya has a lot of athletes but only the hard-working ones get to enjoy the fruits of their labour. He observed that when you go to Iten for instance, there are many runners but not all of them get to make the Kenyan team to global events.
Daniel Ebenyo further noted that coaches are always there to offer guidance but the athletes are the ones who have the talent and sacrifice their time to invest in their training.
“I believe the athletes who are dedicated and sacrifice themselves and work hard are the ones who put Kenya on the world map. There are many athletes in Iten but only those who are dedicated are the ones who make it to the top,” he said.
)
Letsile Tebogo reflected on his career’s turning point, winning his first global gold in Nairobi.
“It’s the athletes who have sacrificed themselves with the help of the coaches because the coach is there for the program and the guidance. Kenya is also blessed by God hence the great performance and athletes are also thirsty to win.”
Ebenyo missed a chance to represent Kenya at the Paris Olympic Games after falling at the Prefontaine Classic and failing to finish in the podium bracket. However, that will not stop him from donning the Kenyan jersey at upcoming events.
Aside from missing the Paris Olympic Games, Daniel Ebenyo achieved a career milestone, making his full marathon debut in Chicago where he finished fifth.
)
As the athletes look to kickstart their seasons, one question remains: is 2025 the year another sprinter finally gets a hold of Florence Griffith-Joyner’s long-standing world record?
