Henry Wanyoike and Joseph Kibunja, two inspirational warriors, visited our school and shared their experiences on October 17. Meeting an Olympic marathon runner face to face was an experience of a lifetime.
Wanyoike, from Kenya, is a Paralympics gold medallist and record holder in both the 10,000 and 5,000 metres, with Kibunja as his seeing-eye shadow runner. Wanyoike told us how he went to bed one night and woke up blind the next day. He was only 19 years old.
Although he lost his sight, he did not lose his determination to succeed. He has gone on to establish many records in the international athletics scene.
His success on the track has been matched by his accomplishments in raising funds for charities that aid the visually impaired in Kenya and around the world.
With Kibunja, Wanyoike led two pairs of students on a run round the school hall. In each pair, one student was blindfolded while the other acted as his seeing-eye guide. The blindfolded students said they were very impressed by the experience. They said they were at first nervous about 'running in the dark', but gradually learned that they had to trust their guide.
At the end of the visit, our school presented Wanyoike with a souvenir made by two Form Six students and visual arts teacher. It was a 3D picture of an eye with thorns and bushes underneath it. The eye was in the form of a tunnel leading from darkness to light. It symbolised Wanyoike running from the dark to a world full of colour and hope.
