He has done it before, and he promises to do it yet again. Breaking three World Records in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics was the highlight of Henry Kiprono Kirwa’s career, but he is not any less committed now than he was 12 years ago.
Deep in a rural part of Kenya’s Rift Valley province resides one of the world’s most iconic Paralympic athletes, Henry Kiprono Kirwa.
Kirwa is a multiple gold-winning athlete from various events around the world. His medal collection is a career goal for many elite athletes, but even this does not change his focus. He remains true to his goal of winning even more races and bagging many more medals and honors.
Now living in the chilly Nandi County, Kirwa’s rise to stardom began in 2007, when he represented Kenya in the All African Games in Algeria. At the time, he was aged 34 years.
He now looks at that and subsequent events with pride, successes that he attributes entirely to his hard work.
CGTN Africa met Kirwa at his Nandi home, where he continues keeping himself in shape ahead of the 2020 Paralympic Games to be held in Japan.
“2007, I represented my country in the All African Games and I came back with two Gold Medals. I came back to my country and I went to Rio de Janeiro World Championships, what we call IPSA and I came back with three Gold Medals. I qualified for Beijing Olympics,” he said, remembering his China feat rather fondly.
“Beijing Olympics…that is where I made marvelous in this world. I smashed three world records and I came back to my country with three Gold Medals,” he said.
It was this event that earned Kirwa even more attention from the athletics world. His subsequent achievements proved his zeal for more success and stamped his mark as one of the world’s biggest Paralympic talents.
“In 2011, I went to New Zealand to represent my country in the World Championships again. I came back with two Gold Medals again. That was also my qualifier to London 2012 Olympics. From London, I came back to my country with Bronze. And then I can talk about 2016 Rio Olympics, I came back to my country with a Gold Medal and Bronze,” he said.
Kirwa then began preparations for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan, but these were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The health crisis interrupted the sporting world in a major way, keeping athletes stuck in their homes and unable to compete. This lack of competitions then hit the athletes hard, as they went months without earning incomes from their talents.
Kirwa fell to farming and logging to keep afloat.
The 47-year-old cultivated acres of tea crops in his farms purchased by proceeds from previous winnings.
He however has to work even harder to keep his income steady as he not only supports himself and his family, but also many disadvantaged persons in his community.
Kirwa has been at the forefront in community empowerment, using his influence to keep children in school and families fed.
His attributed beyond the track earned him the 2009 “U.N. in Kenya Person of the Year”.
The Paralympic Games were pushed to August – September 2021, and many athletes and fans across the world felt hard done. Most understand the reasoning, considering the world’s battle against a common enemy in COVID-19.
Kirwa however took the postponement with open arms, saying the extended period will help him achieve his target for the event; write a new record.
“This time around, I can break another World Record because of this long period,” said Kirwa. “I am now focusing on that because this is a long period. So, I’m urging my colleagues to continue wherever they are. If they are now sleeping, they will see what is going happen next year in 2021.”
