Saidimu eager to be part of Team Kenya for the World Athletics Championships

After being dropped from the national team to the 2019 World Cross Country championship, Simon Saidimu vowed that he will not let the setback derail his dream of being a top athlete.

Saidimu has put that disappointment behind him now and his dream of donning national colours is alive again as he hopes to attain the qualifying mark for the long distance races in his quest to earn an invitation for trials for the World Championships set for Budapest, Hungary in August this year.

The Japan-based athlete who is currently at home for holiday said he will be focusing on the qualification mark when he takes part in three competitions on his return to the Far East country.

The runner who works for Chuhatsu Company, a motor vehicle springs manufacturing entity, will first take part in the Gifu half marathon where he will be looking forward to improve his personal best in the distance from 61:51 minutes Later he will be running in the Golden Games, a major competition where he will face runners like multi medallist Bedan Karoki,

“I will run in both 5,000m and 10,000m with the aim of meeting qualifying time or better my personal bests that stand at 13:24.17 and 27:37.36 respectively,” he said.

By running better time can see him granted leeway by his coach Yuji Sato to be racing outside Japan.

“Achieving the qualifying time is possible since I always believe in myself. It is that believing in myself that has seen me board a plane to Japan.

“There is no shortcut to success in athletics, one has to work hard, be disciplined and always respect others,” the 22 year old athlete said passively cautioning runners against doping.

Saidimu attributes his success in athletics to the 18 kilometers (9km one way) he used to cover every day from home to primary school and back in his Ngarendare village in Laikipia North of Laikipia County.

The alumni of Kiirua Boys High school in Maru, who regards Geoffrey Kamworor as his idol, pays tribute to his late father Sironga Saidimu who was killed by an elephant in 2013 for allowing him to go to school instead of herding cattle.

The athlete speaks highly of his mother, Lucy Saidimu who used to give him Sh20 to go to participate or watch the Lewa Marathon that is normally held in Lewa Conservancy that neighbours his home area.

“I saw my mother struggle to feed us after my father died soon after I joined form one. This motivates me to work hard to uplift her living standard and I am happy I have been able to put a roof over her head in her own land,” Saidimu said.