Behind every Kenyan athlete is a beautiful wife or girlfriend

Behind every successful man, there is a woman, a famous adage goes.

While every fan is excited to see the various athletes perform what they do best, many people are also curious about the players' personal lives.

In Europe, athletes who live lavishly are always seen with their wives and girlfriends living and enjoying expensive lifestyles through their posts on social media and in many different social hangout events where they dress and drive royalty.

From the likes of David Beckham and his wife Victoria, Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina to Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian, these athletes are always the talk of town every time they step out in public.

In Kenya, majority of our athletes keep their family affairs away from the public eye but a few individuals are always proud to share their relationships with their fans.

 The Nairobian Sports reveals some of the wives and girlfriends of our beloved athletes from athletics, football, basketball and swimming:

Victor Wanyama and Serah Teshna

Former Harambee Stars Captain Victor Wanyama has had an absolutely fantastic career, having played for the likes of Celtic, Southampton and Tottenham before moving to Montreal Impact in Canada.

Montreal Impact have really benefited from his experience and strength in the midfield, but it has still been a mixed season for the MLS side.

Wanyama is ever-present in the heart of the midfield for the side and plays alongside the likes of Bojan Krkic, who has also had an established career in the Premier League.

Last year in November, the former Harambee Stars captain helped CF Montreal win the Voyageurs Cup by defeating Toronto FC 1-0 in the Canadian Championship Final.

The win saw Montreal celebrate a first Canadian Championship title at Stade Saputo since 2014.

The former Tottenham Hotspurs star featured for the entire 90 minutes to help his side finish the season with a trophy at Stade Saputo Stadium and also book a place in the 2022 Concacaf Champions League.

Away from the field, Wanyama is known for celebrating his lover Serah Teshna. The love birds were a week ago seen enjoying a romantic meal at a fancy restaurant in Montreal. The duo sampled exotic seafood comprising lobsters and pasta, which they downed with glasses of wine.

Last year in October, the duo welcomed their first child.

Wanyama and Serah kept their relationship a secret, with Kenyans only finding out when the actress revealed she was pregnant.

Ferdinand Omanyala and Laventa Amutavi

Last month, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala became African men’s 100m champion after beating defending champion Akani Simbine of South Africa by just three thousandths of a second in Mauritius.

Both men were recorded as finishing the final in a time of 9.93 seconds – a new African Championships record - but Omanyala was awarded a time of 9.927, following a photo finish.

The 26-year-old is just the second Kenyan to become continental champion over the distance, emulating 1990 winner Joseph Gikonyo.

He is currently the 8th fastest man of all-time in the 100 metres after clocking a time of 9.77 on September 18, 2021 in Nairobi.

While most spotlight has been on him, Omanyala always says there is more to his life than what fans see on TV when he takes to the track.

Like most successful men, he has a wife who pushes and inspires him to achieve greater heights. She always credits his wife, Laventa Amutavi, with pushing him to greater heights.

Together, the Omanyalas have been blessed with one child who is currently two years old.

According to Omanyala, back when he was starting his sprinting career, Laventa was one of the few people that believed and supported him all through. He now says he is ready and willing to “give her anything she wants”.

Laventa has expressed her desire to dedicate more time to her athletics career next year now that Omanyala has shed the spotlight on Kenyan sprinters.

The couple is common on our local TV stations for interviews and is always seen together in public.

Michael Olunga and Grace

Harambee Stars Captain Michael Olunga was a force to reckon with in the Qatar League and Asian Champions League last season.

Olunga bagged his first trophy this year after scoring once for Al Duhail in an emphatic 5-1 win against Al Gharafa in the Amir Cup final held at the iconic Khalifa Stadium in Doha in March.

He also won the 2021-22 Qatar League Golden Boot. This is the second top scorer award the striker has won abroad, having achieved a similar feat during his time at Kashiwa Reysol in Japan.

The Kenyan international player scored 24 goals as his Al Duhail side finished second behind Al Sadd.

Olunga has enjoyed success with the Arabian club, notably winning the top scorer’s award for the 2021 Asian Champions League last season.

Olunga made history as first Kenyan player to play in the Spanish La Liga league in 2017. He was there for a year, and also scored a famous hat trick for the Catalonia-based club.

Away from his beastly performances on the field, the Harambee Stars captain clearly knows how to keep his private life under wraps, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Olunga is unmarried till this date; however, he is in a relationship with his girlfriend, Grace.

The beautiful couple often keeps on sharing their lovely snaps via Instagram, and they mostly spend time together visiting several places. Currently, Michael and Grace are enjoying their happy relationship.

The two have been dating for la ong time, with their love blossoming every day. The first time Olunga introduced Grace to the public was in December 2016 when the lass celebrated her birthday.

Eliud Kipchoge and Grace Sugut

For a man whose humility is as legendary as his athletic prowess, it is almost ironic that Eliud Kipchoge cannot outrun the limelight.

The first human to ever run the marathon distance under two hours, it is interesting how the star slunk back home with pint-size applause.

Those who know him attribute his success to a strong family grounding although they prefer to keep a low profile – always standing aside to let his star shine. 

In the case of his wife, Grace Sugut, not much is known about her, other than the intricate details revealed either by Kipchoge himself or brief media interviews.

Her moment of fame came when she rushed to her husband, minutes after he broke the Ineos 1:59 challenge in October 2019 – a proud moment for the two.

Sugut met Eliud when she was 19 years old and they have three children together.