•Following the birth of her first child, Alyn, in 2018, the Kenyan took a 21-month break before returning to the sport with renewed motivation.
•At Tokyo 2020, she joined Australia's Shirley Strickland and Cameroonian triple-jumper Francoise Mbango Etone in achieving the rare feat.
Image: REUTERS
When Faith Kipyegon won 1500m gold in Tokyo in August, the victory had extra resonance as she became only the third athlete to retain an Olympic title after becoming a mother in-between Games.
Following the birth of her first child, Alyn, in 2018, the Kenyan took a 21-month break before returning to the sport with renewed motivation.
At Tokyo 2020, she joined Australia's Shirley Strickland and Cameroonian triple-jumper Francoise Mbango Etone in achieving the rare feat.
"That was what was in my head - I said I will defend my title and run as a mum," Kipyegon told BBC Sport Africa.
"To bring the gold medal as a mum will also inspire my daughter. It was really something special for me defending my title."
She did so in Olympic record time too.
Before heading to Japan, Kipyegon said she would be carrying two flags - one for Kenya, and the other for Alyn.
"I dedicated the medal to her," said the BBC African Sports Personality of the Year nominee. "And when I landed in Eldoret, she welcomed me, held the medal and said 'This is my medal' - it was something special."
Kipyegon revels in her motherhood, so much so that she is prepared to tackle an area few sportspeople ever raise by purposefully failing to cover up her stretch marks when competing.
"I'm proud to be a mum, to be a woman being a woman. I'm proud of my child. Stretch marks are something that come and you can't hide [them]. Just be proud, just be who you are."
'A rare type of athlete'
Despite her nation's glittering athletics history, which has long been littered with Olympic and world titles, Kipyegon is the only Kenyan female to have ever won back-to-back Olympic golds.
"She has a unique character," legendary athletics coach Patrick Sang, who calls her his "little superstar", told BBC Sport Africa with a beaming smile.
"When she walks into a group of people, even if the environment is gloomy, within no time you see people laughing. She is gifted in many ways and is a rare type of athlete in the present world."
Her coach for the past three years, Sang sees parallels between Kipyegon and marathon-running great Eliud Kipchoge, another of his charges, saying both are unafraid of hard work.
Her athletics resume is as impressive as her compatriot, with Kenya's golden girl having won every world title in 1500m; world youth, world junior, Commonwealth, World Championships and Olympics - now twice.
She likes the distance because of its "combination of speed and drive", which she epitomised while setting a new Olympic record of 3:53.11 in Tokyo - which she says surprised her as much as the gold itself.
"I knew all the athletes were very strong," she said. "It was hard. You're stepping there as a mum, running with still-young athletes but your daughter is watching you at home. You just think many things."
Kipyegon's glory is a culmination of a journey which began as a child herself, when starting out playing football in primary school before switching to running.
In secondary school, she juggled athletics with schoolwork, carrying books to competitions where she announced herself as one of the best upcoming athletes by becoming world cross-country junior champion - twice - and winning the global youth and junior titles too.
Not all juniors translate such dominance onto the senior stage, but Kipyegon has done so in imperious fashion.
"It's not easy," she said. "It's a matter of being disciplined and working on your career - and I wanted to be a successful athlete."
Sang, meanwhile, expects Kipyegon to remain at elite level for another decade.
"In that 10 years, you're going to see some beautiful performances from her," he proudly declares. "She has not even scratched the surface of her talent."
World record before moving up?
Kipyegon is a rare runner and despite taking on much younger - and childless - rivals, she proved again this year why she is simply the world's best miler.
Out of the 10 races she contested, she only lost one - to Sifan Hassan at the Diamond League in Florence.
"When I'm putting on my sports shoes, I feel something nice," she said.
"Running means a lot to me. It was my passion since I was young and growing up, it has changed my life and my status.
"It's been great being a champion. You must stay at a level where you stay a champion. It all starts from discipline."
Kipyegon gained revenge on Dutchwoman Hassan when winning the 2021 Diamond League 1500m trophy, a success she puts above her Olympic gold given her speed.
"I ran a personal best (3:51.07)," she explains. "I was almost breaking a world record but unfortunately, it was not that day. I hope to maybe next time."
Kipyegon's outing in Monaco, which placed her fourth overall on the all-time 1500m list, was just one second off Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba's world record.
"I'm really working to lower my time in 1500m before I move to 5000m," she said.
Despite all her feats, Kipyegon has not been carried away by her success.
"What helps me stay the way I am is the background I'm coming from - a humble family. We always stay humble and love everybody."
Despite her friendly nature, this ever-smiling mother is deadly serious when discussing the legacy she wants to leave.
"I want to empower women out there that there's a woman called Faith who did her best in her event. I want to motivate them and show them that everything is possible in life."