Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist Marceline Chelangat promises to bounce back after giving birth

Many athletes have abandoned sport or retired after giving birth, but the 24-year-old will not hear any of that and promised to return to action.

Motherhood has taken a toll on Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist Marceline Chelangat since giving birth to a bouncing baby boy last year.

Speaking to the New Vision in Kapchorwa, the first-time mother said it has not been easy raising the eight-month old baby and that it has taken the help of his grand mum to raise the kid.“It has not been easy being a mother and a first-time mother at that.

I had never baby seated anyone because I’m the last born, but my mum has been very supportive; she has tried a lot because I even didn’t know how to carry the baby,” Chelangat who was found carrying her baby on the back said.

Many athletes have abandoned sport or retired after giving birth, but the 24-year-old will not hear any of that and promised to return to action.

“I will be returning very soon, and for me, I hope to return very strong,” Chelangat, an Assistant Inspector of Police, married to Police Constable Benson Cheboriot said.“The baby is still young, but when he makes one year, I will leave him with his grand mum and return to training.”

Chelangat and Stella Chesang won two medals for Uganda at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Meanwhile, Stephen Kiprotich believes Uganda's athletics team will win up to five medals from the 10,000m-men’s race, 800m women and the men’s marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I have a very tough team of marathoners here who I believe will perform well because last year out time was lowered to 2:07.05 so  I have a belief that we will be strong contenders in those races, so  my prediction is that Uganda will come back with five medals,” Kiprotich said as he watched runners participate in the TeamUganda Tokyo 2020 run in Kapchorwa.

posted Wednesday March 11th
by Michael Nsubuga