The tragic death of Ugandan Olympian and long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei has left her loved ones and the East African athletics community devastated.
Cheptegei, 33, died from severe burns after her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, reportedly doused her in petrol and set her on fire outside her home in north-west Kenya on Sunday.
Her two young daughters are said to have witnessed the horrific attack.
Cheptegei’s mother, Agnes, speaking outside the hospital where her daughter was treated, offered a brief tribute, calling her daughter “kind-hearted.”
Her sister Violet, overwhelmed with grief, said, “I’m in pain but we leave it to God.”
Cheptegei had just returned from church when the attack occurred, according to police. Fellow athletes and friends described her as a generous person who supported others both emotionally and financially.
James Kirwa, an occasional training partner, remembered her as an experienced athlete who was “very affable” and always willing to help.
He recounted how she had gifted him training shoes after her participation in the Paris Olympics.
Cheptegei, a mother of two, competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, finishing 44th with a time of two hours, 32 minutes, and 14 seconds.
While her success on the track may not have brought many medals, she was still able to support her family through her race earnings.
She first represented Uganda at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships at age 19, transitioning to longer road races over time.
Her most notable victory came at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand.
Cheptegei also served in the Ugandan army, rising to the rank of corporal and representing her country at events like the World Military Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2011.
For many, she was a mentor and role model. Kirwa said she had encouraged him during difficult times, telling him to “soldier on.”
Her death has sent shockwaves through the athletics community in East Africa, with athletes reflecting on the broader issue of violence against women in the region.
Kenyan runner Milcah Chemos Cheywa expressed the community’s pain, noting that this was not the first time a female athlete had been attacked.
In 2021, world-record holder Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death, and six months later, Damaris Mutua was strangled. Both attacks were linked to their partners.
Women’s rights groups, such as Tirop’s Angels, have called for stronger protections for female athletes, urging sports bodies and governments to take action.
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, expressed his condolences and committed to working with local groups to protect female athletes from abuse.
For Cheptegei’s family, the loss is deeply personal. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said, “We have lost our breadwinner,” expressing concern for his granddaughters’ future without their mother.
Her friend and fellow athlete Immaculate Chemutai, who had visited Cheptegei in the hospital, had hoped for her recovery but was heartbroken by the news of her passing.
Kirwa, deeply affected by her death, shared that he had decided to withdraw from an upcoming marathon, saying he was “not in a good place mentally” after the loss of someone he viewed as an older sister.
Source-BBC
