Nurse on a Mission: Saina to work on endurance in Iten, eyes ticket to Beijing worlds

Betsy Saina of Iowa State wins the womens 10,000m.

Betsy Saina, a nurse based in the USA, has her task cut out as she plans to conquer the course and rivals at the Beijing World Championships in August.

The energetic 26-year-old runner, who is the second-born in a family of five, is keen to take her game a gear up and nothing mortal will stand in her path to success.

Saina started running while at Itigo Girls High School in Keiyo just as a pastime before landing an opportunity to study at Iowa State University on an athletics scholarship.

At the college, she met 2012 Olympic Silver medalist Sally Kipyego, and the two became close friends. However, Saina was skeptical of taking to running as a career, though she admired watching Sally take on the track and win races.

Like many people, her colleagues in college believed everyone from Kenya is an athlete. The notion prompted her to engage in running as a lifestyle to impress them and it did not take long before she got immersed in the profession.

She started by representing her college in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) where she has won several 5,000m and 10000m cross-country races.

After graduating with a degree in Health Science majoring in Nursing in 2013, she did not know what to do with her life. She decided to move to Colorado Springs with a professional training group, American Distance Project Elite, under coach Scot Simmons.

"I used to admire former world 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot and eventually Sally, whom I met at the college and we became tight friends.

"I still adore her trophies and medals displayed on her cabinet; she is simply a champion. She has been very resourceful to me," said Saina.

"Upon finishing my nursing studies, I made up my mind to be a professional athlete, so I relocated to Colorado for elite training."

The charming beauty, has already made her mark in track and field by competing in Diamond League race and road races. She competed in 3000m in Brussels posting an impressive time of 8:38.01.

Her determination saw her make debut in road races and took part in Boston half marathon where she posted a time of 1:09:27 and 10km road race in Tilburg clocking 30:46. Saina is managed by Golazo Sports International.

Being winter in US and off season, Saina is back in the country to sharpen her running skills at the 'Home of Champions' Iten. She is keen to secure a berth in the national team for 2015 IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China in August.

"I'm making frantic efforts in training to be in the team for World Championship in China next year. I know it's very competitive here (national trials) but I'm almost certain that I will be donning the national colours.

"That is why I have pitched camp here at Iten, to work on my endurance," said Saina.