Last August, Kenyan middle-distance runner Naomi Korir achieved one of the most significant successes of her sporting career, finishing in a respectable fifth place in the one-mile final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Behind this brilliant result, however, lies a harrowing personal story of physical suffering, social isolation and dreams realized.
Korir was born with a congenital urogenital fistula - a condition that causes constant, uncontrollable urine leakage. It turned her childhood into a living hell, and people around her began to shun her. However, the girl does not stop exercising to escape loneliness, even though she has to switch to shorter distances such as the 100-meter hurdles.
The delayed deliverance and the three surgeries
According to “Doctors Without Borders“, over 500,000 women in Sub-Saharan Africa suffer from this disease due to a lack of quality obstetric and gynecological care. For Korir, salvation does not come immediately - the first two surgical interventions fail.
It was only in 2013 (when she was 13 years old) that the third operation at the specialized clinic “Ginocare“ in her hometown of Eldoret was successfully completed. Thanks to the charity program “Beyond Fistula“ she managed to complete her education and return fully to sports.
„Overcoming the fistula itself makes you a true champion. But now I can't wait to reach the very top in sports!“
From relays to a dream of Beijing and Los Angeles
Korir's professional debut is in 2019, and successes come quickly:
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2021: Silver medal at the World Relay Championships in Poland (mixed discipline 2x2x400 m).
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2022: Gold medal at the African Championships in Mauritius (4x400 m relay).
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August 2026: Fifth place in the Glasgow one-mile final.
Today, the 28-year-old runner, who sang in the church choir and played the ionic as a child, is a role model for thousands of girls in Africa. With her sights set on the World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Naomi Korir continues to prove that willpower knows no bounds.