Help send Henry Rono home to Kenya
Donation protected
In a span of 81 days in 1978, Henry Rono broke four world records. Now, he is just plain broke. Henry is currently living in squalid conditions in public housing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His bank account is empty. But Henry is not broken. Henry still has a dream in his heart of starting a school for running in Kapsabet, Kenya. Henry is a phenomenal coach and a wise sage, and simply wants to pass his wisdom along to the next generation. But he needs your help. Please help us, his friends and former running pupils, raise enough money to purchase a one-way ticket to Kenya, and rent a facility in Kapsabet to kickstart the Henry Rono School of Running.
How did Henry get to this point
Henry coached a group of long-distance runners from 2006-2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Those runners went on to form the Dukes Track Club. While coaching, Henry pursued an associates degree from CNM, with an emphasis in writing. Henry used his skills to publish two books on Amazon.com, Olympic Dream and Olympic Boycott. Unfortunately, Henry couldn't support himself on writing and coaching alone. Instead, Henry worked as a skycap for Albuquerque Sunport. For nearly ten years, Henry made $5.00 per hour (plus meager tips), transporting people and bags at the airport. Few knew they were being served by one of the greatest runners who ever lived. At 67, the stress of a bustling airport job requiring heavy lifting finally caused Henry to hang up his sky cap. As you can imagine, there's no safety net or retirement plans for an aging skycap.
Where will the funds go?
Henry needs a one-way airline ticket to Nairobi, Kenya, which will cost approximately $1,000. Henry will then need transportation from Nairobi to Kapsabet, Kenya, which will cost approximately $100. In Kapsabet, Henry has a community ready to receive him and athletes awaiting his arrival. But they don't have the means to fund his journey or kickstart his dream of founding a school of running.
The remaining requested gofundme amount will go towards renting a small facility for Henry and a couple athletes. The approximate rent and utility fees will be $300 per month.
Airline Ticket to Nairobi -- $1,000
Transport to Kapsabet -- $ 100
Housing Facility Cost
(13 months) -- $3,900
Total: $5,000
In Henry's heyday, Henry was largely self coached. He even coached other Kenyan athletes while at Washington State University in the late 70s and early 80s. He coached a few athletes here and there in the pacific Northwest in the 80s. And then in the 90s, Henry helped coach the Navajo Community College team in Gallup, New Mexico. In the 2000s, Henry coached two world-class Jamaican steeplechasers in Albuquerque. He led them both to Olympic berths. From 2006 to 2012, Henry coached several local post-collegians to Olympic Trial births, National Championships, and Olympic standards in the marathon, 3,000m steeplechase, and 10,000m. Despite these successes, Henry's training philosophy and methods remain largely unknown to the wider running world. Additionally, Henry rarely charged his athletes any coaching fees. He gave from the heart and expected nothing in return.
When Henry talks about his athletes and training, his face lights up. He loves to see his athletes reach their dreams. It is the fuel that keeps him alive. Henry wants nothing more than to pour himself into runners needing a coach. With your help, Henry will finally have a place in the world from which to base his coaching dream. Henry would be deeply moved and grateful if you were to help support this goal in some way. Henry has a gift to give the world, let's help him give it.
How did Henry get to this point
Henry coached a group of long-distance runners from 2006-2012 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Those runners went on to form the Dukes Track Club. While coaching, Henry pursued an associates degree from CNM, with an emphasis in writing. Henry used his skills to publish two books on Amazon.com, Olympic Dream and Olympic Boycott. Unfortunately, Henry couldn't support himself on writing and coaching alone. Instead, Henry worked as a skycap for Albuquerque Sunport. For nearly ten years, Henry made $5.00 per hour (plus meager tips), transporting people and bags at the airport. Few knew they were being served by one of the greatest runners who ever lived. At 67, the stress of a bustling airport job requiring heavy lifting finally caused Henry to hang up his sky cap. As you can imagine, there's no safety net or retirement plans for an aging skycap.
Where will the funds go?
Henry needs a one-way airline ticket to Nairobi, Kenya, which will cost approximately $1,000. Henry will then need transportation from Nairobi to Kapsabet, Kenya, which will cost approximately $100. In Kapsabet, Henry has a community ready to receive him and athletes awaiting his arrival. But they don't have the means to fund his journey or kickstart his dream of founding a school of running.
The remaining requested gofundme amount will go towards renting a small facility for Henry and a couple athletes. The approximate rent and utility fees will be $300 per month.
Airline Ticket to Nairobi -- $1,000
Transport to Kapsabet -- $ 100
Housing Facility Cost
(13 months) -- $3,900
Total: $5,000
In Henry's heyday, Henry was largely self coached. He even coached other Kenyan athletes while at Washington State University in the late 70s and early 80s. He coached a few athletes here and there in the pacific Northwest in the 80s. And then in the 90s, Henry helped coach the Navajo Community College team in Gallup, New Mexico. In the 2000s, Henry coached two world-class Jamaican steeplechasers in Albuquerque. He led them both to Olympic berths. From 2006 to 2012, Henry coached several local post-collegians to Olympic Trial births, National Championships, and Olympic standards in the marathon, 3,000m steeplechase, and 10,000m. Despite these successes, Henry's training philosophy and methods remain largely unknown to the wider running world. Additionally, Henry rarely charged his athletes any coaching fees. He gave from the heart and expected nothing in return.
When Henry talks about his athletes and training, his face lights up. He loves to see his athletes reach their dreams. It is the fuel that keeps him alive. Henry wants nothing more than to pour himself into runners needing a coach. With your help, Henry will finally have a place in the world from which to base his coaching dream. Henry would be deeply moved and grateful if you were to help support this goal in some way. Henry has a gift to give the world, let's help him give it.
Fundraising team: Kris Houghton (2)
Jesse Armijo
Organizer
Albuquerque, NM
SOLOMON KIPNG'ETICH KANDIE
Team member
