Introducing Milka

Mutwiri Mutuota in Berlin, Germany

Milka Chemos would still be serving as a constable at Kenya Police College (KPC), Kiganjo rather than being her country’s medal prospect in women’s steeplechase at the 12th World Athletics Championships had her husband, Alex Sang not urged her to run.

The petite 22 year-old only took up steeplechase running in March and barely four months later, Chemos not only qualified for Berlin but in doing so, also managed to finish ahead of one of the finest female steeplechasers anywhere in world junior record holder, Ruth Bosibori.

In only her fifth steeplechase race of her career, Chemos clocked a 9:22.33 personal best in the distance that is ranked the ninth quickest of the year (before Berlin) establishing her as a major prospect in the event that convinced selectors to give her a ticket for Berlin when she finished second at the Kenyan Trials.

Getting better

"Having run under 10 minutes in her previous four races before she clocked her personal best, we saw an athlete who was getting better and better with each race and she was peaking at the right time," head coach, Peter Mathu said.

Chemos, attended Matumbei (Standard 1 to 7) and St Phillips (Standard 8) primary schools after her family relocated from Bugaa in Mt Elgon District to settle in Kitale where her parents, subsistence farmers live to date.

"When we were at Kiganjo College, Alex whom I had just met kept on looking at me and telling me, ‘you have a body of a runner, why don’t you try it’," she disclosed how the seed of athletics was sown in her in 2005 as a Kenya Police recruit.

Beat others

"They came round the college asking for anyone interested in competing for them and I decided to give it a try, first as a joke but then I noticed I could beat others and that’s when I saw I had a future in running," she adds.

After being recruited and posted to Makueni, Chemos stopped running altogether and was hitched to Sang. The following year, the newlyweds welcomed Lavine to their lives.

"After recovering from maternity, I began training seriously in 2008, urged on by my husband and at first, I chose to compete in 800m and 1500m. This is after I was transferred to Kenya Police College to work alongside (Olympic bronze winner) Richard Mateelong," she says.

"I decided to switch to steeplechase this year (2009) after realising I could not make good times to be competitive in 800m and 1500m," she revealed.

At the New KCC/AK weekend meeting in Kakamega, Chemos clocked 9:54.4 for the win on her steeplechase debut before finishing third in Nijmegen (9:54.32, May 29) on her second water and barrier competition and first European outing facilitated by Golazo Sports, the new managers she had signed.

Chemos then made a mark with a personal best performance of 9:22.33 in her adopted speciality at KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden, Belgium and a week later, her 9:35.94 effort was only bettered by another surprise package, Gladys Kipkemboi (9:32.62) in the race for the Berlin ticket in women’s steeplechase where Bosibori (10:08.33) was fourth.

"Running is just my talent and when I made the team, it was very rewarding for me. I am going for a medal and winning one would be great motivation to me. I’m still new in the sport and I’m yet to meet the Russians but I don’t fear them," she said.