'My world fell apart'- Emmanuel Wanyonyi opens up about father's loss & why he never grieved him enough

rise to the top was unlike climbing a sugar candy since he had to overcome several obstacles to become one of the greatest 800m runners.

One that is still engraved in his heart is losing his father in 2018, never getting any closure and never getting enough time to grieve. His late father was a caretaker at a dam and before he met his sudden death, he was just from visiting school to give him money to buy running spikes.

With such dedication, his father was undoubtedly one of his greatest cheerleaders who never lived to see the potential of his talented son. Wanyonyi explained to that his father lost his life under unclear circumstances and to date, they never got the chance to know what happened.

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«It’s like he was strangled and placed by the water. He was found with a mark on his head as if he was hit. What I think happened is that he placed his clothes there to swim and then someone came to rob him,” Emmanuel Wanyonyi said.

“My family never found closure. That day, my world fell apart. It was painful but I didn’t have the luxury of grieving. I had to become the man of the house immediately.»

With his father gone and him becoming the breadwinner, there was only one way out, athletics. He hoped to use his running talent to make a name for himself and also provide for his family and indeed, the plan worked out well for him.

This journey as well, was not easy as he faced a lot of backlash and ridicule and at some point, he decided to turn a blind eye to what people had to say and continue going forward. His mother was hurt by the words of the people and was a source of encouragement for her.

«When Emmanuel was running, people were mocking and laughing at him. I was crying and feeling sad about it, but my boy told me, ‘Don’t cry, mum. One day I will buy you land and you will live a good life.’ I thought it was just a joke, but God was with him,” Wanyonyi’s mother Margaret Nasimiyu went down memory lane.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi became prominent in 2021 after winning the World Under-20 title in the 800m at an event held in Nairobi and he never looked back from there. He proceeded to the 2022 in Eugene, Oregon, competing against very experienced seniors and finished an impressive fourth.

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At the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2023, Wanyonyi finished second behind Marco Arop. The Kenyan 800m sensation then followed that up with a gold medal at the

«It is not just a title — it has a lot of significance in my life. I wish my father was here to see me run. I would even push harder because of him, because of all the love he had for me,” he said.