Olympian mourned after vicious assault

The killing of Ugandan Olympian and long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei has devastated her family and friends – and has left the East African athletics group reeling.

The 33-year-old mother-of-two died on Thursday morning after struggling critical burns – her ex-boyfriend doused her in petrol and set her on hearth on Sunday out of doors her space in north-western Kenya.

Her mom, Agnes Cheptegei, talking to newshounds out of doors the health facility the place the athlete had died, was once so distraught that she simplest controlled a short lived tribute, describing her daughter as kind-hearted and a “just right kid”.

Her sister, Violet, broke down as she stated: “I’m in ache however we depart it to God.”

Cheptegei had simply returned from church when she was once attacked via her former spouse, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, police say. Her younger daughters are reported to must have witnessed all of it and attempted to intrude.

For all the ones paying tribute, they are saying it was once Cheptegei’s generosity that almost all outlined her.

James Kirwa – who was once Cheptegei’s occasional coaching spouse – spoke the BBC hours after her loss of life, remembering her as an skilled athlete who was once form to teammates at the operating circuit.

“She was once an overly affable individual and was once at all times very useful and helped us all even financially. She introduced me coaching sneakers when she got here again from the [Paris] Olympics,” the Ugandan athlete stated.

Cheptegei were within the French capital competing within the Olympic marathon, coming forty fourth in a time of 2 hours, 32 mins and 14 seconds.

Compared to different runners within the area she accomplished modest luck.

However you don’t must win medals to become profitable – and she or he was once nonetheless ready to assist fortify her circle of relatives along with her income from collaborating in races.

At 19, she first represented Uganda in an under-20 race on the 2010 Global Pass Nation Championships.

Through the years she transitioned to longer highway races, attaining luck later in her occupation.

Her maximum notable victory got here within the up-and-downhill mountain race on the 2022 Global Mountain and Path Working Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

She made her marathon debut in 2021 and recorded a non-public absolute best of 2 hours 22 mins and 47 seconds the next 12 months, making her the second-fastest Ugandan girl of all time.

For a lot of her operating occupation she was once additionally a member of the Ugandan military, attaining the rank of corporal.

Athletes in East Africa regularly sign up for their nation’s military for the monetary backing it lets in them – they usually get to coach at the observe as an alternative of serving within the box.

No longer a lot is understood in regards to the cases of the way Cheptegei joined the Uganda Other folks’s Defence Forces, however she was once a member of its athletics membership and represented her nation at the observe on the Global Army Video games in Rio de Janeiro in 2011.

As a result of her 14 years of global festival, Kirwa stated he appeared as much as her as an older sister – any individual he became to for fortify.

“Once I first began, I nearly gave up as it was once very tough, however she instructed me you should soldier on,” he stated.

Cheptegai had moved to Kenya to be close to the rustic’s famend athletics coaching centres, positioned in a area that borders her house house in Uganda.

Ugandan athlete Immaculate Chemutai, who were visiting Cheptegai on the health facility with others like Kirwa, stated she had was hoping her pal may live to tell the tale as she had stepped forward via Wednesday night time “and the respiring was once come what may settled”.

“Within the morning I gained the telephone name and the physician instructed us that we have now misplaced her. It is truly unhappy. Rebecca, she has been so just right to us. She may be very pretty… a just right individual,” she instructed the BBC.

“She likes her circle of relatives such a lot, particularly the ladies.

“And she or he occasionally helps us if we want some mortgage or one thing like that we will request it and she or he may give.”

Her father Joseph Cheptegei reiterated this when he stated: “We have now misplaced our breadwinner.”

He added that he was once now nervous in regards to the two ladies’ training with out their mom to fortify them.

The have an effect on of her loss of life is being felt past her fast friends and family.

For some it suits into a much broader development of violence in opposition to girls within the area the place most sensible athletes aren’t secure via their standing.

“I will be able to say we’re nonetheless in surprise, and we’re in ache, particularly as athletes, and this factor taking place in Kenya, that is [another] time an athlete is being attacked… so we aren’t satisfied,” Kenyan runner Milcah Chemos Cheywa stated.

In 2021, world-record holder Agnes Tirop was once stabbed to loss of life and 6 months later Damaris Mutua was once strangled. Their companions had been recognized as the primary suspects in each instances via the government.

“We urge the general public, sports activities our bodies, and the federal government to unite in taking significant steps to give protection to girls and women, making sure that now not extra lives are misplaced,” stated Tirop’s Angels, a gaggle arrange within the wake of Tirop’s killing.

Sebastian Coe, the president of athletics’ international governing frame, stated his organisation would paintings with teams at the flooring to peer how feminine athletes may well be higher secure “from abuse of a wide variety”.

He mourned an athlete who he stated “nonetheless had quite a bit to present”.

For Kirwa, Cheptegei’s loss of life represents a profound private loss and he stated he had cancelled his participation in Sunday’s Nairobi Town Marathon as he was once so disappointed and “now not in a just right position mentally”.