Training Congo’s Future Olympic Champions / Running aAway from pPoverty
- Beatrice: For me, running is work.
- Baraka: Running means suffering.
- Baraka: But through this suffering your mind gets formed, it forms us physically and it teaches you how to life with the others in the society.
- Off: The small village of Kirotshe lies quietly in the hills in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It might well become the home of Congo’s best future marathon runners. Their idol and trainer is Makorobondo Salukombo.
- Off: That today young runners practice here, is not a given. The idyll is deceptive as the region has witnessed recurring war and conflict since the early 1990s.
• Off: Makorobondo Salukombo and his family had to flee from Kirotshe to Uganda to seek asylum. After having lived four years in a refugee camp, the family then got the chance to go to the United States of America. It’s here that Makorobondo discovered his passion for cross country running.
• Off: After having completed his University studies, Makorobondo decided to start training to represent the United States in the 2016 Olympic games. But his new training venue in the DRC is, mildly put, unusual:
• Kambale: I started running in 2012. It was difficult for me. I was not sure if I would ever arrive here.
• Sarah: Before I started running, I was always getting sick.
• Luanda: When I started, I had many difficulties in regards to the muscles and sickness.
• Kambale: I do sport…
• Kambale: Every day – in the morning and in the evening. From Monday till Sunday.
• Luanda: Often I run 22 kilometers. And for 22 kilometers I need around 1 hour and 15 minutes. I train to run it in 1 hour 10 minutes or something like that.
• Off: Besides the strenuous exercise, the future runners have to face tough challenges – Especially the girls.
- Baraka: There are many obstacles on the road. For example when it rains. To show up can be really difficult. The bandits along the road can threaten us as well.
• Off: Now the next step for Makarobondo Salukombo and some of Kirotshe's up-and-coming talents is to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Their road to success lies ahead and their hopes are set.
- Fiston: Hopefully running will help my kids and my wife so that they can have a better life then I had.
- Beatrice: I encourage others because sport gives me the strength. Sport helps me a lot and due to sport I am currently studying. Due to sport I do not get sick. And due to sport I am currently able to get to know foreign countries.
- Gervais: One day, I’d love to be the number one runner in Congo.