Young athletes between the age of 8-16 will enjoy free training sessions courtesy of the newly launched Shoe4Africa Alpha Running Porridge Club set in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Set within the heart of athletics epicenter, the young enthusiastic runners, will not only train for free but enjoy a cup of the porridge from the facility set up by American Toby Tanser.
Tanser says that they want to groom athletes from the young age and once they attain a certain age, as wholistic athletes they can take up a professional running career.
“We want to mentor children between 8-16 years of age and they can come here, we give them food, we have a library for learning, have games like basketball, table tennis among others. At the same time, we are building a new and a unique project, The Alpha Running Club, a safe house for the young people. In this club, the children, who go to public schools have not been taking breakfast will be offered here,” said Tanser.
He says that the facility will serve free breakfast before going to school and instead of sitting in class waiting for lunch where their stomachs will rumbling.
“They will be coming here, take a cup of porridge before going to school. We want to give free breakfast for 1,000 children at the Shoe4Running Club,” said Tanser.
He says that he came to Kenya way back in 1995 running with likes of Paul Tergat, Moses Tanui, Moses Kiptanui, and wanted to make changes and help young people especially for girls then where he started the Shoe4Running 10km in Iten, built 6 public schools that have been given to the community, then the Shoe4Africa in Eldoret and now we are building the first children cancer hospital in Eldoret.
“We never forget children and community. For them to join here, we have to identify those with athletics enthusiastic and those who wants be professionals. The club is free for all children and they are our family,” he added.
He insisted that he wants to change the lives of young people through sports.
“We look for opportunities through sports to help them, since our motto is health, Education in sports are key to success. I support children because they are the future for the country,” he concluded.