She is from Kenya. We have become used to thinking of Kenya as the home of great runners especially men. It s easy to forget that Kenya is a very poor country. Most Kenyans grow up herding cattle or laboring in the farm fields knowing starvation is as close as the next drought. Electricity and telephones are a luxury.
Indoor plumbing is rare.
Few roads are paved. Cars are almost non-existent. The Kenyans grow up wearing second hand clothes and no shoes. Their lifestyle compels them to develop stamina, endure tedium and tolerate pain. Children walk everywhere, they grow up in the shadow of the equator, living at high altitude, walking or running any place they go.