Active and dynamic are the two words that best describe Pamela Jelimo whose competitive spirit encouraged her to rise in sports from her early teens. Her bravery was another thing. Pamela got a thrill from competition and when the girls in Koyo Secondary School failed to be as aggressive in field sports as she needed them to be, she raced with the boys!
Jelimo started by outshining her peers in the 100 meters, then proceeded to replicate the same victories in the 400m hurdles. Eventually, she got into running the 800 meters with seeming ease! Her speed enabled her to advance from high school athletics competitions to provincial championships. She was without a doubt, Nandi county’s best female athlete. During this time, Jelimo was dominating the 400m events and at the 2007 African Junior Championships, Jelimo won her first gold medal.
Through with high school, Jelimo’s career began at The Kenya Police Force. While here, she had substantial time which she used to train and began focusing on bettering her 800 meter sprints. In April of 2008, Pamela competed in the Kenya trials for the African Championships. An impressive time of 2:01:02 led to her representing Kenya at the Beijing Olympics. Jelimo was only 18.
The first round of the heats saw Jelimo finish first in her group clocking a time of 2:03:18. At the semi-final event, Jelimo’s speed was notable after she finished at 1:57:31. In the final race, up against leading sprinters from around the world, including fellow athlete Janeth Jepkosgei, Pamela Jelimo finished at a record breaking time of 1:54:87. She raised the bar for our flag by emerging as Kenya’s first female Olympic gold medallist.
When Pamela returned home, she found a high honour awaiting the lady who brought fame to a nation – a street was named in her honour in Kapsabet. Another award that followed was being crowned the Kenyan sportswoman of the Year.
Thank you Pam, for your bravery, fortitude and brilliance on the track!
#KeWachezaji #PaukwaPeople
