World-renowned Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion, is channeling her athletic success into addressing critical healthcare disparities in her rural hometown. The 32-year-old athlete has initiated construction of a maternity facility in Keringet, where expectant mothers currently face dangerous 35-kilometer journeys to access hospital care.
The Dare to Dream Maternity Ward, funded by Kipyegon’s shoe partner Nike as a legacy project, aims to eliminate the alarming rate of maternal and infant mortality in the region. Kipyegon, who became a mother herself in 2018, described witnessing heartbreaking scenarios where women in labor “come back empty-handed” despite beginning their journey “full of hope, carrying life, carrying dreams.”
“Many give birth without proper facilities, without enough medical support, without dignity or safety,” Kipyegon stated during Sunday’s groundbreaking ceremony, which incorporated a children’s Cross Country event. The athlete emphasized that the consequences of inadequate healthcare extend beyond individual families, ultimately impacting “our future” as a community.
Tanya Hvizdak, Global Head of Running for Nike, characterized the project as “a commitment to mothers, to local families, and to the next generation,” noting that “when women have safe, dignified care in childbirth, entire communities rise up around them.” The facility represents a transformative investment in rural healthcare infrastructure that will serve generations to come.