Vivian Cheruiyot set to make a comeback after getting first child

Vivian Cheruiyot, the pint-sized track sensation who has had no problem with her weight the whole of her life is currently sailing in unfamiliar waters.

After taking a break from the track to start a family with husband-coach Moses Kiplagat, Vivian, the 2011 double World Athletics champion, has been out of competition for slightly over two years. The London Olympics in 2012 was the last championship she took part in.

At her Kipkorogot home, along the Eldoret-Kabsabet road, Vivian has slowly been adjusting to a new phase in her life, motherhood.

Her son, Allan Kiprono, will be celebrating his first birthday in the next few days. You can easily tell that Vivian has embraced the changes that come with having a baby.

Before granting The Nairobian team an interview, she lets us know that her son is teething, and that she might be required to take breaks in between the interview to check on him.

“I don’t regret making the tough decision to take a career break to have a baby. It was inevitable anyway, because I did not want to be a successful athlete but lag behind in family matters. Motherhood comes with demanding responsibilities. I cannot just wake up and go for training or stay from the house for too long. It’s the biggest balancing act test, but I’m enjoying the joy and challenges as well,” says Vivian.

Despite being an athlete since 14, Vivian, like most new mothers, is now struggling with her weight. She is currently weighing 55 kilo, which is a significant increase from her competition ideal, pre-baby, 38 kilos.

‘’I know 55 kilos doesn’t sound like much, but I honestly never thought I could be this heavy. As a mother, you have to eat well to nurture your baby. I am lucky I haven’t had any cravings for fries and chicken. So far, I have lost about 11 kilos,” she says with delightful pride.

She has mainly lost the weight due to a rigorous training programme, which she embarked on with the help of her husband-cum-coach. The pair resumed training four months ago to achieve fitness in good time for the 2015 athletics season, ahead of the Beijing World Athletics Championships scheduled for August as their main target.

‘’We are not under so much pressure because we resumed training early enough. It has not been easy, since we first had to focus on her weight loss before going to the technicalities of training for a big race. I’m impressed by how far she has come and I can confirm that we are at 50 per cent fitness. We are now targeting another 40 per cent to reach 90 per cent,” reveals Kiplagat, who also had to take a break and help his wife look after their son.

Vivian has been involved in athletics since her days at Sing’ore Girls. She says she is taking it one day at a time. ‘’It has been so difficult getting my body back to shape, it reminds me of when I was starting my career. Of course I was younger then, and it was easy to push my limits,’’ she confesses.

The 30-year-old has won everything, apart from an Olympic gold that proved elusive at the 2012 London Olympics, where she settled for silver in the 5,000-metre race, and a bronze medal in the 10,000-metre race.

‘’An Olympic gold is so hard to bag. I tried last year, but sadly, it did not happen. It is why I have my eyes fixed on the Rio Olympics in 2016. But if it doesn’t happen, I will keep the faith and hope I can get the gold in marathon,” adds the talented athlete.

Vivian says that, ‘’I am confident of a good comeback. I have seen most of my senior athletes take a break and come back strong. Edna Kiplagat is a double world champion, while Mary Keittany has managed to become the fourth fastest marathoner of all time, and they both have kids.”

The two-year break presented Vivian with her first opportunity to watch other athletes compete at various championships and cheer her favourite athletes.

So will the athletic couple encourage their son to follow in their footsteps?

‘’My priority is to ensure my son gets a good education, but that doesn’t mean he can’t run if he wants. It is all up to him,” says Vivian with a chuckle.