Mark Otieno needed a helping hand of a good Samaritan to secure his maiden Olympic ticket with Team Kenya.
Otieno is one of over half a doze runners who booked tickets to Japan on day one of the Athletics Kenya National Olympic Trials at the Kasarani Stadium, on Thursday.
But before he clocked the 10.05 time that guaranteed him what could be a first appearance at the Summer Games, Otieno, who came second behind winner Ferdinand Omanyala, was struggling to secure a running shoe until a Ugandan athlete stepped in with a helping hand.
It took the selfless act of Ugandan 200m National record holder (20.71) Tarsus Otogot for Otieno to run with standard spikes after his ‘brother’ from across the border donated his running spikes to the Olympic bound former Kenyan national record holder.
“I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage,” Otieno, a former National record holder quoted
Psalms 27:13-14.
He further revealed: “Today was the last opportunity I had to qualify for the Olympics. As of yesterday, I didn’t even have running spikes, but God came through and @tarsis_de_gonya graciously gave me his for today.
Otieno, who ran a new personal best of (10.05), and Omanyala (10.02) are set to become the first Kenyans to have participated in the Olympics (men’s 100m) since 1992.
Kennedy Ondieki was the first Kenyan (1988 Seoul, Korea) and the last (1992 Barcelona, Spain) to have represented the country in the men’s 100 meters.
Ondieki reached the quarter final of the Seoul Games and was knocked out in the 200m quarters in Barcelona four years later.