Like many of our well known runners Susan Sirma calls the rolling hills of Iten home. One of Africa’s most outstanding sportswomen, Susan is a long distance runner who has carved out a niche for herself in one of the sports most challenging locations – Kenya, the Home of Champions.
As more Kenyans showed their sports prowess in international states, Susan Sirma set her sights on breaking another untapped boundary in athletics. Her pursuit? The 1500m and 3000m events – yaani the track races that are 3.75 and 7.5 laps respectively.
Growing up in Iten, she didn’t need to commute far to train. If anything, trainers were easily found in her hometown. At the 1987 All Africa Games, track and field events were held at then newly minted Moi International Sports Stadium Kasarani. For Susan, this was her debut at a national event and she came prepared to win securing her first medal in the women’s 1500m after placing second. In the 3000m event that she qualified for, she won her first gold medal and doubled her medal count. For anyone watching Susan, she was becoming a Kenyan favourite.
The World Championships that followed the Pan African games were hosted by Japan. Susan – with an able team, flew to Tokyo confident of bagging enough medals for Kenya. She was placed in the same long distance events where she started side by side with some of the world’s record holders at the time. Although making it to the final of the 1500 event, she placed seventh which to Susan meant that she had to bet on herself to excel in the 3000m.
Susan maintained the lead in most laps and with only two left, spectators were confident, she would seal a slot on the medal podium. The final lap saw the two Russian track stars, Tetyana Dorovskikh and Yelena Romanova surpass Susan who maintained third place through to the finish line.
Perhaps there’s a sparkle in Iten but we applaud Susan Sirma who was titled Africa’s first female medallist at the event – a champion from the nation that houses them!
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