As he speaks, O'Connell gazes out over dozens of St. Patrick's students lounging in the school's grassy courtyard during an afternoon tea break. All of them are zoned out, daydreaming, staring at the sky, totally content. They're completely comfortable doing nothing. If those were European kids, they'd be all over the place trying to find something to do. Kenyan boys not only are conditioned to cope with fatigue and tedium, but also pain.
Circumcision is the central event of their adolescence.
It is expected to be received without anesthetic, complaint or wincing. According to a 1992 Runner's World magazine article, Kenyan Josh Kimeto scoffed at American teammates who whined about aches and pains during his college career at Washington State. There are other factors that have contributed to the Kenya running phenomenon. The sport of distance running certainly is emphasized more here than in almost any other country. Legend has it that the British introduced track and field to the natives during Kenya's colonial period as a way to channel their aggression, but it has come to be viewed as basketball and football are in this country, as a vehicle in which athletes can escape the poverty of their youth.