The IAAF 5,000 champion is keen on bettering her time

World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri and her husband Tom Nyaundi pose for a picture.[Dennis Okeyo, Standard]

The life of every woman changes forever when her baby is born. For 27-year-old Hellen Obiri to perfectly strike a balance between being an elite athlete and a mother, she was ready for the challenges ahead of her.   

Just like her role model Vivian Cheruiyot, who retired from track running to venture into marathon and road race running, the IAAF World 5,000m champion, born in Nyangusu village in Kisii County, came out of maternity in 2016 to claim silver in the Rio Olympic Games, then followed this with a string of world class performances in the 2017 season – which she  terms ‘lovely moments’.