Four Kenyan-Born U.S. Army Specialists Will Run For Team USA In Rio

Four runners of Kenyan descent who earned U.S. citizenship through enlisting in the Army will be competing as members of Team USA in next week’s Rio Olympics.

Four Kenyan-Born U.S. Army Specialists Will Run For Team USA In Rio

The runners trained through the military branch’s World Class Athlete Program and will vie for gold medals. One of them is Army Sergeant Hillary Bor, whose unit — which includes his older brother Julius — is already deployed to Afghanistan. Bor stayed this time around, but it could be his turn soon.

“I might be told tomorrow, ‘Hey, pack your things, we’re deploying.’ I can’t say, ‘I have the Olympics coming up,’ said Army specialist Paul Chelimo, who’s from Iten, Kenya, and earned a spot in the 5,000 meters at U.S. Trials in July. “Whatever happens from now to the Olympics, into the future, I’m here to follow the orders.”

This is the life that Bor, Chelimo, and fellow specialists Leonard Korir and Shadrack Kipchirchir have all become accustomed to. Kipchirchir is from Eldoret, Kenya and was an All-American at Oklahoma State University. He enlisted in June 2014 as a financial management technician. He’ll be competing in the 10,000 meters race.

Korir hails from Iten, Kenya, and was a two-time NCAA champion at Iona College before joining the Army in May 2015 as a motor transportation operator. He qualified in the 10,000 meters at trials.

Bor, a 3,000-meter steeplechase runner, arrived from Eldoret as a teenager, running for Iowa State and entering the military in July 2013. He’s one of three Bor brothers in the Army — the other two following his lead.

Bor’s running career, which was put on hold after joining the Army, was rekindled when he ran the timed two-mile physical fitness test run in an astounding ten minutes flat.

“Going through the Army training, that made me mentally strong.  Going to the race I use the Army training and I think that’s helpful to have me compete at the highest level,” Bor said in an interview with WSLS 10 of Virginia.

Growing up, Bor preferred soccer over running, which he didn’t really even take seriously until after high school when his uncle, Barnaba Korir, a standout at Iowa State, enticed him to come to America and give college running a try.

In May, Bor ran the required time to secure a spot in WCAP. In July, he finished second at trials to earn his place in Rio.

“This is not only for my brother, but for my whole unit,” Bor said. “It’s for every soldier that’s deployed now.”

Chelimo became a star at University of North Carolina-Greensboro, before joining in May 2014. He divides his time between training and his responsibilities as a water treatment specialist, and will compete in the 5,000 meters race.

“If you have a contract with a big shoe company, that’s predictable — you know what’s going to happen,” Chelimo explained. “With the Army, you don’t know.”

The Army’s World Class Athlete Program formally began in 1997 and is designed to give soldier-athletes the support necessary to compete at the highest levels. The program, headquartered in Fort Carson, Colorado, includes several different sports, with more than a dozen soldier-athletes and three coaches traveling to Rio for the Olympics and Paralympics.

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 15: Leonard Korir of Kenya wins the Men’s 2015 United Airlines New York City Half Marathon in lower Manhattan on March. 15, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena