There exists many a cliché when trying to outline the exact reasons for the continued East African dominance of middle and long distance athletics. From studies of genetics to the overused romanticism of kids running to school and back every day, we may never truly see a blueprint on the exact path to athletic stardom. And why should we?
A few years ago whilst attending a trade show, I was engaged in a conversation with a military man. Whilst the crux of the chat was obviously industry-related, my enquiry of what life was like whilst away on deployments in African countries drew a simple – yet logical – response. He basically relayed how we cannot realistically be truly grateful for what we have here in South Africa until we have spent time living and working on the ground in another African country.
Recent middle distance results at the 2014 Commonwealth Games have been interesting. While an Australian winning the men’s marathon is nothing short of monumental, the emergence of a pair of Kiwi brothers is as impressive as it is fascinating.
Zane Robertson’s bronze medal in the men’s 5000m final this week is just reward for the young New Zealander. While hard training is obviously a key in his great result, another key factor in his and brother Jake’s athletic progression has been their ability to assimilate. While Zane is now based in Europe, the brother’s initial forays to the East African running hotbeds of Kenya and Ethiopia deserve closer inspection.
Many Westerners venture to the towns of Eldoret and Iten intent on reaching the next level in athletics. There are countless magazine articles chronicling the training days of visiting athletes, where group workouts and high altitude are perhaps the central themes. A case of “if you can’t beat them, join them” tends to ring true in many of these tales yet for the most part, foreign athletes visiting East Africa are there primarily for the physical benefits. They tend to stay in groups in comfortable lodgings, disconnected from everyday life in these rural communities. For an athlete to truly progress in their desired sport requires embracing the bigger picture, the physiological component being but a part of this. And this is perhaps the missing link with many a foreigner moving to Kenya. Training in the country that produces the world’s greatest distance runners is one thing; living and immersing oneself in the culture and everyday life is but another.
The well-known British journalist, Peter Jouvenal, once stated that, if one lives in a foreign land, then one should be able to pronounce that county’s name correctly. One of group of maverick and adventurous television journalists, Jouvenal has made his life in one of the most inhospitable cities on earth, Kabul. It is perhaps a testament to Peter’s embracing of local culture that has seen him earn the respect of the locals for the past forty-odd years. Such is his standing in Afghanistan that he was in possession of the Taliban’s imminent battle plan several weeks before the intelligence departments of NATO! While this anecdote represents is a more extreme example of assimilating to one’s environment, it does raise another important point.
Happiness in one’s surroundings is paramount to optimal performance in any endeavor. This is perhaps critical in professional sports, where a high performance life demands a stable base. Allan Peiper related how his first year riding for a prestigious amateur cycling club in Paris would have been so much better if he had absorbed French culture. That he later found peace and stability in neighboring Belgium reflected positively in his professional results. He even considers himself half-Belgian.
Upping sticks and moving to a foreign land purely for training purposes is not necessarily the route to success. Attempting to copy another culture based on their athletic prowess can prove futile. Jake and Zane Robertson went to Kenya because they wanted to be there. Eschewing the more lavish facilities of a Westernized training camp, they immersed themselves in the local environment, sleeping on the floor in a local house belonging to a friend of a contact. While Zane has moved onto the Continent out of choice, Jake remains in Africa and calls Addis Ababa home.
I suspect the sheer adventure of living rough and training hard is a motivating factor of these two siblings; they almost belong in a different era. Whilst their story is refreshing and no doubt inspiring, it is perhaps not prerequisite for every middle distance athlete wanting to reach the next level. But if the the wilder side of life is calling you, why not give it a try.
Remember though: you've got to want it!
*Note: image borrowed from www.thrivesports.com
