By KPC Sports Reporter
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has taken her legacy beyond the track, breaking ground on the Dare to Dream Maternity Ward in her hometown of Keringet.
The facility, supported by Nike, will provide safe and dignified care for mothers and newborns, addressing a critical gap in maternal healthcare in the region.
The groundbreaking ceremony drew community leaders, clergy, and dignitaries, including Athletics Kenya President General Jackson Tuwei, who joined in celebrating Kipyegon’s vision.
The day began with a spirited kids’ cross-country race that brought together over 1,000 children from local schools, symbolizing the future the project seeks to protect.
Speaking at the event, Faith Kipyegon reflected on the inspiration behind the project:
“Growing up in Keringet, I saw too many women go into labour full of hope, only to return empty-handed because the care they needed was too far away or not good enough. This maternity wing is about changing that reality – giving mothers safety, dignity, and hope.”
Nike’s Global Head of Running, Tanya Hvizdak, underscored the company’s commitment:
“Today is more than a groundbreaking. It’s a commitment – a commitment to mothers, to local families, and to the next generation. Faith, the world knows you as a champion – a record breaker, a symbol of what is possible when belief meets discipline,” she said.
“But what inspires us all at Nike just as much is who you are beyond the track: a wife, a mother, a leader – someone determined to lift others up around you.”
The Dare to Dream Maternity Ward will be operated in partnership with the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, ensuring professional care and compassion for expectant mothers.
Once complete, the facility will reduce the need for women to travel nearly 35 kilometers to access hospital services, a journey that has too often put lives at risk.
Nike described the initiative as part of its broader mission to support athletes “through every stage of life” and to help communities thrive. Hvizdak added:
“Very soon, expectant mothers will walk through these doors and walk out carrying in their arms, hope.”
For Faith Kipyegon, the project is deeply personal:
“This wing will carry my name, but it is not about me. It is about the women who will walk through these doors with courage, the babies who will take their first breath here, and the families who will return home whole. When women are supported, entire communities rise.”