Why Kenyan athlete is still determined to compete days after accident
5th February 2024
Sikolia was knocked from behind while riding a motorbike by another rider.
- The runner, who registered a second-place finish at the Kakamega County trials, was knocked on Friday.
- According to Sikolia, the rider drove away immediately after the accident, leaving him wrenching in pain in the middle of a road in Kakamega town.
- The athlete, who has a half marathon personal best of 1:05.00, is seeking to compete at the upcoming regional cross-country championships slated for Vihiga County on Saturday, February 10.
Kenyan road race runner Reuben Sikolia has his eyes set on
the 2024 Western Regional cross-country championships despite being involved in
a road accident earlier this week.
The runner, who registered a second-place finish at the
Kakamega County trials, was knocked from behind while riding a motorbike on
Friday night, February 2 by another rider.
According to Sikolia, the rider drove away immediately after the accident, leaving him wrenching in pain in the middle of a road in Kakamega town.
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“I was knocked from the back while riding a motorbike. I hurt my ribs, neck and right thigh. I also injured my hands and those who caused the accident disappeared and left me struggling for breath, unable to remove my helmet,” the orphaned runner told SportPesa News in an exclusive interview.
Luckily, Sikolia was saved by a good samaritan who took him
to a nearby hospital where he was attended to and given permission to return
home.
However, despite the incident that nearly took his life, the
athlete who has a half marathon personal best of 1:05.00 is seeking to compete
at the upcoming regional cross country championships slated for Vihiga County
on Saturday, February 10.
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The regional cross-country championships were supposed to be
held in January across Kenya but the Western region one was delayed due to
unexplained reasons.
“I want to run because of the passion that I have for the
sport. If I stay at home and my colleagues attend the race, I will feel sicker.
Athletics is also the only thing that I depend on,” stated the runner who has a
connection with Ushindi Children’s Home.
Meanwhile, Sikolia disclosed that he is ready to switch his
citizenship and represent other nations in international championships if an
opportunity arises.
“In Kenya there are so many of us. You can even distribute
two runners to each country in the world and still remain with thousands of
them. So, if a chance arises, I can change my citizenship and run for another
country,” he stated.
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Some of the previous races that Sikolia has graced include
the 2023 Iten International Marathon, Nairobi City Marathon, and Standard
Chartered Nairobi Half Marathon. His personal best of 1:05.00 came at the 2022
Kakamega Forest run in November 2022.
Moreover, he has also featured in the Kisumu Heart and
Cancer run where he settled for a 17th position.
The runner who trains without a coach ended by urging leaders from western region, particularly Kakamega County Governor Fernandes Barasa, to invest in all sporting activities instead of only focusing on football because there are a lot of talents.