Louisville Magazine

MAR 2014

Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.

Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/267865

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 27 of 124

3.14 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 2 5 Tere, burning parafn oil produced light. A toilet was a hole dug out back. Korir is one of eight siblings, plus one brother who died young after being bitten by a snake. His parents have since built a new house on the same land, which they farm. Tey also have cows and own a small mill where neighbors can come to turn maize into four. On the frst Monday we're in Kenya, Korir rises early to run with a couple of us regular joggers. Te group quickly leaves me behind. Korir says Father Willie Walsh, an Irish missionary priest who spent decades working in Kenya, gave him the money he needed for high school. Paul Ereng, the University of Texas at El Paso's track coach and a Kenyan, saw Korir while on a scouting trip to his homeland and recognized the young man's talent. Ereng put him in touch with the coach at Murray State. Korir then made his way to U of L, where he met Tarah, a Canadian who was also a runner. While in Louisville, he settled into marathon training. "(Korir's) faith … that's where he goes in those quiet moments (of a marathon) when he's tempted to succumb to the pain," says Mann, who is still Korir's coach. Korir hopes to make Kenya's 2016 Olympic team — and to one day be president of Kenya. Many who know him believe both are possible. In a corruption-riddled country where politicians regularly accept bribes, Korir is trying something diferent. During my visit, each morning people gather outside the guesthouse hoping to speak to him. As we drive down the road in our travel van, a woman who says she is on the way to her sister's funeral fags us down and asks Tarah if she'll cover the bus fare. Tarah hands her the money for the trip. As Korir visits an elementary school where a water pump is being repaired, the head teacher asks for a new roof for the school. Korir funds most of the work through earnings from running. To raise money for kids who can't aford school fees, Korir and Tarah have started the Kenyan Kids Foundation. Tough she now lives in Kenya most of the year, Tarah says she has three homes — her birthplace of Ontario, Kenya and Louisville. Because of the couple's connections to all three, there is a foundation ofce in each. Local boards help to organize fund-raisers, including a 5K that Korir plans to run on April 12 in Iroquois Park. In 2010, when Kenyan Kids launched, the foundation helped seven students. Douglas Totti was one of them. (Last year, the foundation provided scholarships for some 100 students, who need an average of $350 to attend school in Kenya for a year.) Totti recently fnished his schooling and is awaiting test results so he can determine his next step. Totti, a quiet young man with a big smile, hopes to be on TV as a "news presenter." He and other students are also learning how to make jewelry to raise money for Kenyan Kids. One night, Totti makes me an intricately woven bracelet of tiny beads in red, black, white and green, symbolizing the Kenyan fag. I wear it every day. www.eclipsebank.com www.shalimarlouisville.com 12-25 BIT.indd 25 2/19/14 9:54 AM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Louisville Magazine - MAR 2014