Eliud Kipchoge launches his own foundation

Double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge on Thursday launched his foundation that will look to focus on education and environment, two subjects that are extremely close to the world record holder’s heart.

Kipchoge has already commissioned the building of a community library at the Kapsisiywa Secondary School in his home County of Nandi while he also adopted a huge acreage of the Kaptagat Forest in his bid for conservation and keeping the environment clean.

The launch of his Foundation is now the new step in ensuring his post-athletics goals remain within touching distance especially as it becomes increasingly likely we might be seeing the last of the marathon running legend competing on the road.

“In 2015, I had the idea of starting out something like a foundation and then, my main idea was on education. In 2019, I came to the conclusion that it was the right time to get it started after consultations far and wide with coach Patrick and others,” said Kipchoge during the launch.

“My mission is to give all children in the world access to knowledge and education. I want those children to grow up into healthy adults in a green and breathing world where forests keep our people safe,” Kipchoge said.

He added; “I hope to contribute and grow the movement in education and environmental protection through my Foundation, to reach the people in the world with my voice. To raise awareness and to raise finances to build libraries, schools, forests. I was lucky in my life to have access to books and knowledge from a young age. It taught me to value life.”

Eliud Kipchoge

“Education helps you grow, and it can help you grow your community alongside you. My dream is for all schools and kindergartens in the world to have good libraries. From a very young age, children need to get in contact with books, with learning. This builds a good foundation for children.”

“Books can inspire, also to those who do not have access to internet. I have been inspired by books for my entire life. There are a lot of talented people in Africa and around the world, who may get inspired and help to solve problems people are facing in their communities.”

The objective of the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation will be to sponsor school fees and to give more children access to education, build libraries as well as inspire people through the importance of education and the power of books.

The environment is the second pillar for the foundation. The foundation wants to provide a healthy world for the next generations therefore the foundation must all provide the right actions to do so.

“I want the world to breath well. Without forests, you cannot breath. As a farmer myself, I know about the importance of a good environment, of trees, of using the land in a sustainable way, so people can grow healthy food and plants, also for the next generations.”

“I believe together we can make dry land green again, which has a huge impact on biodiversity, water availability and healthy food. You can always start helping, even by adopting trees. I began already with adopting a forest near our training camp to help save it. I want to reach out to help save and grow forests around the world.”

The foundation will look to help to keep forests, to plant trees, to make full use of farms by planting trees and produce good fruit and vegetables, conserve the environment for the next generation as well as help make running become a lifestyle for as many people as possible.