WEBVTT - Behind the Scenes of NYRR’s Trip to Kenya 0:00:00.330 --> 0:00:06.059 When we arrived at the Eldoret Airport and Viola Cheptoo and 0:00:06.059 --> 0:00:10.830 Sharon Lokedi and a whole dancing tribe and the Tirop's were 0:00:10.830 --> 0:00:14.550 there to greet us, I was overwhelmed. I couldn't believe 0:00:14.550 --> 0:00:17.340 that these people were right past baggage claim. There they 0:00:17.340 --> 0:00:20.430 were grabbing our bags, putting them down, and we were 0:00:20.430 --> 0:00:22.471 dancing with these people who we had never met before. 0:00:22.471 --> 0:00:25.800 I thought I understood what we were doing. I had no 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.260 idea the scale and the impact. 0:00:34.650 --> 0:00:38.070 Hey, everybody, and welcome to Set The Pace, the official podcast 0:00:38.070 --> 0:00:41.490 of New York Road Runners, presented by Peloton. I'm Rob 0:00:41.490 --> 0:00:44.460 Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road Runners. And we 0:00:44.460 --> 0:00:46.380 don't have Becs with us this week as we are 0:00:46.380 --> 0:00:49.920 doing a special episode from right here actually inside the 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:53.339 offices of New York Road Runners. As you know, if 0:00:53.340 --> 0:00:56.340 you've been following me or New York Road Runners on 0:00:56.340 --> 0:00:59.370 social media, you know that a group of New York 0:00:59.370 --> 0:01:03.750 Road Runners leaders recently took the first ever official trip 0:01:04.050 --> 0:01:07.140 of the organization to Kenya. And today we're going to 0:01:07.140 --> 0:01:09.510 spend some time with some of my colleagues talking about 0:01:09.510 --> 0:01:12.630 that trip, what we learned, and what we think it 0:01:12.630 --> 0:01:15.569 means for the future of running, the future of New 0:01:15.569 --> 0:01:18.510 York Road Runners. So we're very excited to do that 0:01:18.510 --> 0:01:21.690 today. Of course, if you've ever watched the TCS New 0:01:21.690 --> 0:01:25.140 York City Marathon or any major marathon, you know that 0:01:25.350 --> 0:01:29.399 Kenyans are an absolute force in the sport. You see 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:32.670 Kenyan athletes winning year in and year out here in 0:01:32.670 --> 0:01:35.280 New York or Boston and wherever you might go. Of 0:01:35.280 --> 0:01:38.819 course, this past November, both the men's and women's champions 0:01:38.819 --> 0:01:41.819 of the TCS New York City Marathon were from Kenya, 0:01:41.819 --> 0:01:45.930 Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri. Also, I think for a 0:01:45.930 --> 0:01:49.050 lot of fans, that's where the story ends. It's another 0:01:49.050 --> 0:01:52.800 Kenyan winning a major marathon. And you watch that and you 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:56.400 celebrate that, and then maybe that's where you stop and 0:01:56.400 --> 0:01:58.740 you go back to your training or your running or 0:01:58.740 --> 0:02:01.080 whatever you might do. Well, part of what we all 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:03.180 did when we went to Kenya and what we want to spend 0:02:03.180 --> 0:02:05.400 some time doing today is talk about how that is 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:08.579 not where the story stops. Actually, there's so much more 0:02:08.790 --> 0:02:12.000 to tell about these athletes, the communities that they come 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:16.320 from, their families, their colleagues, the people who help get 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:18.960 them where they are, and then what it means for 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:22.800 them and their entire larger communities in Kenya when one 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:25.380 of them wins. That's a lot of what we spent 0:02:25.380 --> 0:02:28.230 time doing when we are in Kenya. Kenya as a 0:02:28.230 --> 0:02:32.190 country and as a running culture is really integral to the foundation 0:02:32.460 --> 0:02:35.460 of this sport and the implications for each one of 0:02:35.460 --> 0:02:38.970 them winning a major go far beyond the podium. It 0:02:38.970 --> 0:02:41.730 can change their family life. It can change their communities. 0:02:41.730 --> 0:02:44.280 And for some of the women, it can also put 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:46.740 them in some form of danger, which is one of 0:02:46.740 --> 0:02:49.350 the things that we'll talk about today. When we were in 0:02:49.350 --> 0:02:52.680 Kenya, we had a dinner with dozens of former New 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:56.250 York City Marathon champions. We also visited a children's hospital 0:02:56.430 --> 0:02:59.880 where money to create it was actually raised, in large 0:02:59.880 --> 0:03:03.960 part, through the New York City Marathon Charity Program. And 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:06.690 we spent time with an organization called Tirop's Angels, which 0:03:06.690 --> 0:03:09.180 we'll talk about a lot today. That was founded in 0:03:09.180 --> 0:03:12.660 honor of a former runner named Agnes Tirop, a woman 0:03:12.660 --> 0:03:16.410 who was murdered in 2021 by her partner. And a 0:03:16.410 --> 0:03:19.260 big part of the reason for our visit and what 0:03:19.290 --> 0:03:21.929 we did while we were there was the issue of gender- 0:03:21.930 --> 0:03:24.600 based violence in Kenya, which we'll talk about quite a 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:28.110 bit today. So before we get into this conversation, let 0:03:28.110 --> 0:03:31.050 me introduce my colleagues to my right, Dorian Kail, who 0:03:31.050 --> 0:03:34.680 works in our pro athletes group. Dorian was really one 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:36.660 of the visionaries behind us taking this trip in the 0:03:36.660 --> 0:03:40.530 first place. She knows our pro athlete community very well 0:03:40.530 --> 0:03:43.380 and understood some of these issues of gender- based violence 0:03:43.380 --> 0:03:45.720 that affect a lot of the female runners from Kenya. 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:48.151 So Dorian, welcome to Set the Pace. You've been on before. 0:03:48.151 --> 0:03:48.600 Thank you. 0:03:48.960 --> 0:03:53.370 Once before. And then to her right is Erica Edwards- 0:03:53.370 --> 0:03:58.500 O'Neal. She's our chief diversity officer and also very well 0:03:58.500 --> 0:04:02.670 acquainted with these issues of what face Kenyan runners and 0:04:02.670 --> 0:04:06.060 also issues that face women and runners all over the 0:04:06.060 --> 0:04:08.400 world. So, looking forward to having this conversation with you 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:08.820 as well. 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:10.351 Absolutely. Happy to be here. Thank you. 0:04:10.351 --> 0:04:13.290 All right. Now I'm not moderating this conversation because we're 0:04:13.290 --> 0:04:16.230 going to hand the reins over to Matt Singer. Matt 0:04:16.680 --> 0:04:19.050 is our head of content at New York Road Runners. 0:04:19.230 --> 0:04:21.870 He's in charge of telling stories about not only New 0:04:21.870 --> 0:04:24.960 York Road Runners, but our professional athletes throughout the year, 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.900 including the broadcast of the TCS New York City Marathon. So 0:04:27.900 --> 0:04:29.850 we're going to hand the hosting reins over to Matt 0:04:29.850 --> 0:04:31.080 to continue this conversation. 0:04:31.230 --> 0:04:33.420 Yeah. Thanks, Rob. And first, it was a huge honor 0:04:33.420 --> 0:04:35.160 to be a part of this first group that went 0:04:35.160 --> 0:04:37.170 over to Kenya as a part of this first official 0:04:37.170 --> 0:04:39.930 visit. And it's great to be on this side of 0:04:39.930 --> 0:04:43.169 the set, although a little reluctantly. I've been with you for 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:45.810 162 episodes now, so you drag me over to this 0:04:45.810 --> 0:04:48.270 side of the camera for the first time. But I 0:04:48.270 --> 0:04:51.330 think it's really important to continue to shine a light 0:04:51.330 --> 0:04:53.670 on everything that we saw and learned over in Kenya. 0:04:53.670 --> 0:04:56.430 And I take my role very seriously in being a 0:04:56.430 --> 0:04:58.680 big part in telling those stories. A lot of people, 0:04:58.830 --> 0:05:00.960 like you said, know the Kenyans that cross the finish 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.420 line and they get to see that one moment, but 0:05:03.420 --> 0:05:04.830 there's a whole other world and a whole other set 0:05:04.830 --> 0:05:06.900 of stories on the other side of that finish line. 0:05:06.900 --> 0:05:08.760 So really excited to shine a light on that today. 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:11.729 I want to start today with a little bit how 0:05:11.730 --> 0:05:14.550 this trip came to be. Dorian and I used to 0:05:14.610 --> 0:05:17.010 sit next to each other. I think they separated us because we 0:05:17.010 --> 0:05:19.260 spoke a little too much during the day, but one 0:05:19.260 --> 0:05:21.450 of the things we would talk about was the idea 0:05:21.450 --> 0:05:23.700 for this trip even back then. So, Dorian, can you 0:05:23.700 --> 0:05:25.770 talk us through a little bit about why it was 0:05:25.770 --> 0:05:29.490 so important to ideate and plan and execute this trip? 0:05:30.420 --> 0:05:33.120 Yeah. Matt, we have been talking about it a long 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:36.690 time. And then Rob started and it was, I think, 0:05:36.690 --> 0:05:39.900 the first spring you were here, you came up to 0:05:39.930 --> 0:05:42.930 the professional athlete suite. We know all the athletes stay 0:05:42.930 --> 0:05:45.390 in the hotel and we were sitting around that big 0:05:45.390 --> 0:05:48.300 long table and you got to meet many of them. 0:05:48.510 --> 0:05:51.029 Many of them were Kenyan and you just got to 0:05:51.029 --> 0:05:54.450 know them. We were just chit- chatting, and I have 0:05:54.450 --> 0:05:57.750 the lucky ... I mean, I have the privilege to get 0:05:57.750 --> 0:06:00.660 to know all these athletes and I hear all kinds 0:06:00.660 --> 0:06:03.750 of stories. But then you left and then I wanted 0:06:03.750 --> 0:06:05.940 to know what you thought. And then I started to 0:06:05.940 --> 0:06:08.159 tell you about some of the stories I had heard. 0:06:08.220 --> 0:06:11.820 And we talked about Agnes Tirop and we talked about 0:06:11.940 --> 0:06:15.360 that tragedy and how it affected so many of our 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:19.020 athletes that we bring in. The pro athletes who compete 0:06:19.020 --> 0:06:22.770 at our races make a lot of money and they 0:06:22.770 --> 0:06:27.420 go back to Kenya and they're targets of violence because 0:06:27.690 --> 0:06:30.029 they have so much more than the people in their 0:06:30.029 --> 0:06:34.529 community. And there are many people who want to take 0:06:34.529 --> 0:06:37.680 advantage of them. And I didn't want to ignore the 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:40.620 fact that we're part of that problem. This is our 0:06:40.620 --> 0:06:43.440 running community. And when I told you about what was 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:46.440 going on, you agreed with me that we need to 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:50.160 do something. And then time went on and athletes would 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:52.230 come back to our races and we'd talk to them 0:06:52.230 --> 0:06:56.850 again. Then we learned about Tirop's Angels because Viola Cheptoo came 0:06:56.850 --> 0:06:58.500 to one of our races and she was telling us 0:06:58.500 --> 0:07:00.839 about her organization and how she wanted to build a 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:04.050 safe house. And it just became more and more apparent 0:07:04.110 --> 0:07:06.930 that we needed to support. We needed to follow up. 0:07:06.930 --> 0:07:09.270 We needed to find out what was going on there. 0:07:09.420 --> 0:07:12.330 And then every time I think you walked by our 0:07:12.330 --> 0:07:16.680 desk, I needed to talk about it. And we just 0:07:16.680 --> 0:07:18.600 kept pushing and pushing. And then we had more and 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:22.140 more conversations with the stakeholders, more and more conversations with 0:07:22.140 --> 0:07:25.620 the athletes, more and more conversations with the organizations. And 0:07:25.620 --> 0:07:28.530 we put this trip together. And I'm so grateful we did. 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:34.110 There was also the Rebecca Cheptegei murder that took place during that 0:07:34.110 --> 0:07:38.910 period as well, which shined another light on this. Rebecca 0:07:38.940 --> 0:07:43.800 Cheptegei, another athlete, she was Ugandan, I believe, but was 0:07:44.190 --> 0:07:47.280 murdered in Kenya by a partner as well. 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:51.240 Exactly. Right after she competed at the Paris Olympics, she 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:55.020 was 44th, two young children, and she was murdered by 0:07:55.020 --> 0:07:59.700 her boyfriend in front of her kids. So tragic. So 0:07:59.700 --> 0:08:02.670 we couldn't ignore what was going on. So that's when 0:08:02.670 --> 0:08:04.950 we decided we needed to put this trip together. 0:08:05.580 --> 0:08:08.580 And we had the staff that were asking questions that were 0:08:08.850 --> 0:08:12.330 clearly concerned and wanted to know that this was something 0:08:12.330 --> 0:08:14.520 that was at the forefront of our minds, and at 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:19.380 least in conversation. Staff feels, loved the organization, loved the 0:08:19.380 --> 0:08:24.060 runners, and wanted to know that we were committed to 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:25.200 doing something. 0:08:25.950 --> 0:08:30.060 Taking it from planning and the need to actually arriving, 0:08:30.060 --> 0:08:33.960 setting foot down in Kenya, this first time in Kenya 0:08:33.960 --> 0:08:36.600 for all of us, the four of us, can you 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:39.750 tell us something that either took you... What was your 0:08:39.750 --> 0:08:42.240 first interaction or something you weren't necessarily prepared for? 0:08:42.780 --> 0:08:48.329 The elevation. The second thing was the warmth. It's a 0:08:48.330 --> 0:08:54.929 beautiful country, but the people were extraordinarily warm and welcoming. 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:57.690 So open. Everybody was so open. We were part of 0:08:57.690 --> 0:08:59.520 their family everywhere we went. 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:04.589 I think for me, I was stunned at how excited 0:09:04.590 --> 0:09:07.439 people were that we were there. I mean, I know 0:09:07.440 --> 0:09:11.370 that running is a big deal in Kenya. They obviously 0:09:11.370 --> 0:09:14.190 have an incredible culture, but I don't think I expected 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:17.790 there to be that much excitement that New York Road 0:09:17.790 --> 0:09:21.059 Runners and that the people who run the TCS New 0:09:21.059 --> 0:09:25.770 York City Marathon were there. And people were really excited 0:09:25.860 --> 0:09:29.490 just to have an opportunity to meet with us. There 0:09:29.490 --> 0:09:32.939 were people in the government. And I mean, even at 0:09:32.940 --> 0:09:35.100 one point there was talk about the president of Kenya 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:36.809 trying to come see us. Right? I mean, it was 0:09:37.050 --> 0:09:39.630 that big a deal that we were there in the 0:09:39.630 --> 0:09:44.459 country, and that was incredible to see. The amount of 0:09:44.460 --> 0:09:49.020 reverence that people in Kenya have for the New York 0:09:49.020 --> 0:09:52.589 City Marathon, I think, really tells you a lot about 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:57.540 what we do means there, the impact of our organization, 0:09:57.809 --> 0:10:00.600 and of course, just the love of running and the marathon. 0:10:00.600 --> 0:10:02.640 I think outside of New York on race day, there's 0:10:02.640 --> 0:10:04.679 nowhere else other than Kenya where we're that big of 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.290 a deal where we go somewhere. Abraham was saying- 0:10:07.290 --> 0:10:08.699 I'm not used to being a rockstar quite like that. 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.630 Ibrahim Hussein who was the first Kenyan winner, first African 0:10:12.630 --> 0:10:14.970 winner of the New York City Marathon, he said it best. 0:10:14.970 --> 0:10:16.920 He said, " New York City Marathon here is Hollywood." 0:10:17.490 --> 0:10:19.800 But we actually followed through. We said we were going 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.199 to come and we went, and that was a big 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:23.580 deal to so many people there. 0:10:24.390 --> 0:10:26.490 I think another thing that we all got to witness 0:10:26.490 --> 0:10:28.320 firsthand, we were all warned of this ahead of time 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.980 was Kenya time. And I think from the very first 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:34.200 moment where we got to the airport with a very, very 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.410 warm, nice, but very long welcome, we were quickly introduced 0:10:37.410 --> 0:10:38.219 to what Kenya time meant. 0:10:38.460 --> 0:10:40.890 Yeah. We had a local say to us, I see 0:10:40.890 --> 0:10:45.210 your agenda and we were discussing the next day and 0:10:45.210 --> 0:10:48.390 we were going to need to leave something early. And 0:10:48.390 --> 0:10:51.929 this person giggled and said, " No, you're not." Right? You're 0:10:51.929 --> 0:10:54.660 going to slow down and be present. That's really important 0:10:54.809 --> 0:10:58.950 for this. This is a community and slowing down and 0:10:58.950 --> 0:11:02.189 being present and maybe having a cup of tea and 0:11:02.190 --> 0:11:05.850 a conversation. And so you don't know when that first 0:11:05.940 --> 0:11:08.520 thing is going to end, so you can't plan the 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:14.220 next. So just be committed to being present and thin 0:11:14.220 --> 0:11:17.040 out that agenda a bit. And so what really was 0:11:17.100 --> 0:11:22.170 a beautiful change, we had a lot accomplished and the 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:24.660 folks of Kenya get a lot accomplished, but they also 0:11:24.660 --> 0:11:28.380 make time to be present for one another. Being welcome 0:11:28.380 --> 0:11:32.190 into each other's homes, sharing a meal, really a key 0:11:32.190 --> 0:11:38.339 part of the culture. And that took some adjusting to, and then 0:11:38.730 --> 0:11:42.479 I'd say to you that I absolutely, as we left, I 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:45.270 missed it, that notion of getting back to the hustle 0:11:45.270 --> 0:11:45.600 and bustle. 0:11:45.870 --> 0:11:48.540 It was hard to slow down the pace. And then 0:11:48.540 --> 0:11:48.929 once we did- 0:11:48.929 --> 0:11:49.350 For New Yorkers. 0:11:49.589 --> 0:11:52.650 Right. But once we did, it made so much sense. 0:11:53.100 --> 0:11:54.780 And I think I speak for all of us when 0:11:54.780 --> 0:11:56.880 I say this trip became so much more than we 0:11:56.880 --> 0:12:00.000 originally thought or planned. What moment for all of you 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.459 was it where it hit like this is a bigger deal 0:12:02.460 --> 0:12:04.530 than what we had on paper for the agenda? 0:12:05.309 --> 0:12:11.970 It was the hotel in Eldoret where a member of 0:12:11.970 --> 0:12:14.820 the hotel staff realized that we were with New York 0:12:14.820 --> 0:12:18.929 Road Runners and began to jump up and down and say, " 0:12:18.929 --> 0:12:21.660 Finally, you all have come. We've heard so much about 0:12:21.660 --> 0:12:24.000 you." And then I go to find Dorian with tears 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:25.470 on my eyes and I'm like, " There's a woman and 0:12:25.470 --> 0:12:30.720 she's here." It was that excitement for our presence. And 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:33.929 that person was sharing with us, they knew about New 0:12:33.929 --> 0:12:36.420 York Road Runners and the TCS New York City Marathon 0:12:36.450 --> 0:12:41.819 because of their involvement with the hospital, with Shoe4Africa, and they 0:12:41.820 --> 0:12:45.660 knew that we had been a key part. And so 0:12:45.660 --> 0:12:49.349 our presence, that was the moment that I think I 0:12:49.350 --> 0:12:52.860 was... Well, it is just etched in my mind. 0:12:54.510 --> 0:12:56.850 There were so many moments and everybody laughed at me 0:12:56.850 --> 0:12:59.280 because every day was better than the next. And I 0:12:59.880 --> 0:13:03.450 had a permanent smile on my face because I knew 0:13:03.450 --> 0:13:05.699 the minute we got there that it was the right 0:13:05.700 --> 0:13:10.050 thing to do. And I don't think there was one 0:13:10.050 --> 0:13:13.440 moment, but when we got... One of the many, when 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:19.319 we arrived at the Eldoret Airport and Viola Cheptoo and Sharon 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:23.699 Lokedi and a whole dancing tribe and the Tirop's were 0:13:23.700 --> 0:13:27.420 there to greet us, I was overwhelmed. I couldn't believe 0:13:27.420 --> 0:13:30.240 that these people were right past baggage claim. There they 0:13:30.240 --> 0:13:33.300 were grabbing our bags, putting them down. And we were 0:13:33.300 --> 0:13:35.850 dancing with these people who we had never met before, 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:37.290 and not the athletes- 0:13:37.290 --> 0:13:40.590 They surprised us with a welcome that the marathon champions 0:13:40.590 --> 0:13:41.609 get when they come home and land at Eldoret. 0:13:41.670 --> 0:13:46.140 Right. Right. It was incredible. And again, it was just like 0:13:46.860 --> 0:13:51.510 we were family and it felt right. Every moment was incredible. 0:13:51.690 --> 0:13:54.600 I think that the first full day I was really there 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:58.260 when we were in Eldoret and we went to the 0:13:58.260 --> 0:14:02.670 place that will hopefully be the future home of a 0:14:02.670 --> 0:14:07.170 safe house that Tirop's Angels is hoping to build for women 0:14:07.170 --> 0:14:10.679 who are victims of gender- based violence. And we get 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:14.429 there and it's an open field in the middle of 0:14:14.970 --> 0:14:18.630 an area that was a good probably 45- minute drive from 0:14:18.630 --> 0:14:22.860 our hotel in Eldoret, maybe an hour. And the entire 0:14:23.070 --> 0:14:26.940 community had gathered there. I mean, I was not expecting 0:14:26.940 --> 0:14:29.670 this. I was expecting maybe the folks who work at 0:14:29.670 --> 0:14:32.220 Tirop's Angels and a couple other people, but the whole 0:14:32.220 --> 0:14:36.210 community had come out and they had seating set up 0:14:36.210 --> 0:14:40.560 and tents, and they were all there to welcome us 0:14:40.890 --> 0:14:43.950 and just to show how much it mattered to them 0:14:44.190 --> 0:14:47.580 that we were there to potentially support this project. Right? 0:14:47.820 --> 0:14:50.580 So that was like, wow, this is really something. And 0:14:50.580 --> 0:14:52.380 then I think for sure when we went to visit 0:14:52.740 --> 0:14:59.160 the Shoe4Africa Children's Hospital, which was founded by a former 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:03.660 New York Road Runners board member, Toby Tanser, and for 0:15:03.660 --> 0:15:07.140 many, many years was able to raise money through the 0:15:07.170 --> 0:15:11.040 marathon charity program that many of our listeners are probably 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:13.800 a part of, raising money for some charity. And we 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:15.479 all think of that as, " Oh, it's such a great 0:15:15.480 --> 0:15:17.550 thing. We raised money for all these great causes." But 0:15:17.910 --> 0:15:22.950 to see the personification of that, to meet mothers and 0:15:22.950 --> 0:15:26.370 fathers whose children were being treated there, who didn't have 0:15:26.370 --> 0:15:28.680 anywhere else to go, who would not be able to 0:15:29.040 --> 0:15:31.530 be there with their children when they were being treated 0:15:31.530 --> 0:15:35.700 for whatever their illness was, to see that was really, 0:15:36.570 --> 0:15:38.670 it just put in a very different perspective what we do. 0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:41.910 It's really special to see those dollars come off that 0:15:41.910 --> 0:15:43.979 meter on a GoFundMe page and as an entry method to the 0:15:43.980 --> 0:15:47.130 marathon and really see the meaning that those miles really can have. Yeah. 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:49.620 Well, a big part of this trip, we'll talk a 0:15:49.620 --> 0:15:52.560 little bit more about Shoe4Africa Hospital and the work that 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:54.090 Tirop's Angels is doing, but a big part of the 0:15:54.090 --> 0:15:57.630 trip was also getting to see where these world- class 0:15:57.630 --> 0:16:01.170 athletes are living and training and seeing this, it's not 0:16:01.170 --> 0:16:03.180 called the home of champions for Nothing, getting to see 0:16:03.510 --> 0:16:05.790 behind the curtain a little bit. And, Erica, one of 0:16:05.790 --> 0:16:07.980 the camps we got to see was the Global Sports 0:16:07.980 --> 0:16:11.730 Camp, which is also known as the house that Kipchoge built, it's 0:16:11.730 --> 0:16:13.680 where the greatest in the world gets to train and 0:16:13.680 --> 0:16:16.140 live. Can you tell us a little bit about getting 0:16:16.260 --> 0:16:17.520 that special behind- the- scene tour? 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:22.440 That was extraordinary. I think we could also call that 0:16:22.500 --> 0:16:25.890 a mindfulness retreat. That's what it felt like. It was 0:16:26.010 --> 0:16:34.290 lush and green and quiet. Every inch, there was intentionality 0:16:34.470 --> 0:16:38.790 behind and there is intentionality behind the design from the 0:16:38.790 --> 0:16:47.220 signs and messaging, simple, beautiful and powerful. I just remember 0:16:47.220 --> 0:16:49.800 talking, that was another moment of I thought we were 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:54.210 moving slowly and we entered that space and it felt 0:16:54.570 --> 0:16:57.570 like I could just sit. I wanted to just have 0:16:57.570 --> 0:17:04.290 a seat and not necessarily have a conversation, but I 0:17:04.290 --> 0:17:08.400 felt immense peace as I entered the space. And then 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:12.570 listening to Elliot was to continue to talk forever and 0:17:12.570 --> 0:17:17.250 ever. That was really magnificent. And it was, of course, great 0:17:17.250 --> 0:17:21.899 to see the space where these athletes are training. I 0:17:21.900 --> 0:17:23.369 just was floored by it. 0:17:23.940 --> 0:17:29.640 Kipchoge, he's like a philosopher. Yes, he's the greatest marathon 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:33.389 runner ever, but when you are in a setting like that 0:17:33.390 --> 0:17:36.900 with him, where he's from, with people who are there 0:17:36.900 --> 0:17:40.500 to train underneath him, you see what made him what 0:17:40.500 --> 0:17:42.720 he is. It's not just his running talent, it's not 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:46.740 just his work ethic, but he's like the Dalai Lama 0:17:46.740 --> 0:17:47.461 of running. He's got- 0:17:47.461 --> 0:17:50.250 It's like this magic. There's something magical, right? 0:17:50.340 --> 0:17:54.630 Yes. Yes. And he's got a true philosophy of life 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:59.550 and teamwork, and he doesn't believe that anybody does these 0:17:59.550 --> 0:18:04.230 things alone. And I think that's what came really through 0:18:04.230 --> 0:18:07.199 loud and clear to me is how much of a 0:18:07.200 --> 0:18:11.400 team sport he sees running as, and the kind of 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:16.230 values, the team values that he's trying to create at 0:18:16.230 --> 0:18:19.560 his camp where lots of runners are going and training 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:25.109 every day, and as Erica said, it's simple. The simplicity 0:18:25.109 --> 0:18:29.100 is part of what seems to be his secret weapon, 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:31.980 is not to complicate things, not to have a lot 0:18:31.980 --> 0:18:36.240 of distractions because running at that level requires full focus 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:38.880 and dedication of not only your body, but your mind. 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:44.340 So yes, I felt like it really was a retreat 0:18:44.340 --> 0:18:47.460 in a way. And I'd love to go back there. 0:18:47.580 --> 0:18:50.100 Yeah. Absolutely. I'll say jumping in again, Dorian, is that 0:18:50.100 --> 0:18:55.980 one of the messages from the camp that they have 0:18:56.550 --> 0:19:01.260 up on the boards is to check your laces. And 0:19:01.260 --> 0:19:03.540 he reminded us that he wasn't talking about the shoe 0:19:03.540 --> 0:19:08.730 laces. He saw that each participant should be checking on 0:19:08.730 --> 0:19:12.480 their other team members and they should consider them the 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:16.320 laces. They keep things together. And that's just one small 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:22.830 example, but it was a joy- filled visit. We were 0:19:22.830 --> 0:19:24.178 kind of giddy, I think there. 0:19:24.179 --> 0:19:28.740 And each of the training camps we went to, they 0:19:28.740 --> 0:19:31.320 would give us a tour and then we'd all sit 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:34.859 around and we would talk, and they gave everybody a 0:19:34.859 --> 0:19:39.179 chance to speak and everybody was heard. And that was 0:19:39.900 --> 0:19:42.960 really cool. I mean, that just doesn't happen. When I 0:19:42.960 --> 0:19:44.760 have people over my house, I don't give them a 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:45.209 chance to talk. 0:19:47.159 --> 0:19:49.229 Everybody speak. They went around the room. It could be 0:19:49.230 --> 0:19:50.041 30 people and everybody would have a chance to say something. 0:19:50.041 --> 0:19:53.909 And that required a mindset shift because you're checking your 0:19:53.910 --> 0:19:56.940 time and you're like, " Well, gosh, we said this was 0:19:56.940 --> 0:19:58.470 going to go until four." And then you learned to 0:19:58.470 --> 0:20:02.310 put your shoulders down and how important it was to 0:20:02.310 --> 0:20:07.560 make time for every voice. Right? Really, truly centering a 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:08.639 community atmosphere. 0:20:08.910 --> 0:20:11.040 Yeah. Yeah. One of the other camps we visited, which 0:20:11.070 --> 0:20:15.990 was 2 Running Club, which is Coach Claudio's club. That 0:20:15.990 --> 0:20:18.090 was another opportunity we got to hear from the full 0:20:18.090 --> 0:20:20.040 staff and the full team there. And we had some really 0:20:20.040 --> 0:20:22.470 important conversations there. Rob, can you talk us through- 0:20:22.590 --> 0:20:27.990 Coach Claudio, who is a very accomplished coach, tremendous number 0:20:27.990 --> 0:20:33.000 of successful athletes, including Benson Kipruto, our defending TCS New 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:35.609 York City Marathon Champion, trained out of that camp. And 0:20:36.270 --> 0:20:40.080 again, we went in, we saw where they all lived. 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:43.980 This was like a dormitory that all the athletes live 0:20:43.980 --> 0:20:46.949 there, right there on the campus, if you will, and 0:20:46.950 --> 0:20:50.130 they eat there and spend their time there. We met 0:20:50.310 --> 0:20:53.369 every athlete there. But as a part of that conversation 0:20:53.369 --> 0:20:57.359 with these athletes, we had a pretty in depth conversation 0:20:57.630 --> 0:21:03.899 about performance enhancing drugs and about the importance of maintaining 0:21:04.200 --> 0:21:09.000 the integrity of the sport. There has been a complicated history 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:12.959 in Kenya and well beyond everywhere when it comes to 0:21:13.230 --> 0:21:16.740 the use of performance enhancing drugs in marathon running and 0:21:16.740 --> 0:21:19.800 endurance sports, in general. We all know that. We know 0:21:19.800 --> 0:21:25.290 of the temptation that often exists for these athletes to 0:21:25.530 --> 0:21:29.310 take the kinds of shortcuts that unfortunately some people choose 0:21:29.310 --> 0:21:32.100 to take. We get news on a regular basis about 0:21:32.100 --> 0:21:37.440 athletes, current athletes being suspended for use of performance enhancing 0:21:37.440 --> 0:21:42.780 drugs. And it was very honest because we didn't pretend 0:21:42.780 --> 0:21:48.060 like the temptation didn't exist. We told stories about past 0:21:48.060 --> 0:21:50.909 incidents that have happened, including Coach Claudio and some of 0:21:50.910 --> 0:21:54.750 the issues that he's had and his own coaching history with 0:21:54.750 --> 0:21:58.050 athletes who ended up using things they shouldn't have been 0:21:58.050 --> 0:22:01.080 using, and problems that had caused him in his career 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:04.470 and his life. Right? And so what was good about that 0:22:04.470 --> 0:22:08.879 conversation is that it wasn't like us talking at them 0:22:08.880 --> 0:22:11.850 and saying, " Hey, don't do these things." It was a 0:22:11.850 --> 0:22:15.240