My target is to medal in Birmingham, says Barsosio

Former Rotterdam Marathon champion Stella Barsosio is optimistic that she will hit the podium when she makes her Team Kenya debut when the Commonwealth Games go down in Birmingham next week.

Trained and coached by her husband, Edwin Melly, Barsosio — who has a personal best of 2:22.08, set when winning the 2021 Rotterdam Marathon will be in the company of Maurine Chepkemoi and Purity Changwony.

Chepkemoi has a personal best time of 2:20:18, set at the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon while Changwony has a lifetime best of 2:22:16 from the 2021 Siena Marathon.

Barsosio said her training under Melly, in their hometown of Kapsabet, has been excellent and she feels ready for the July 28-August 8 Games.

“So far, my training is going on well here in Kapsabet. My hope is to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games. It has been a long journey and a medal will be a good reward for our torturous training,” said Barsosio.

Barsosio said, even though it is her first time in Team Kenya, she is ready to work alongside Chepkemoi and Changwony in reclaiming the title that was last won by Filomena Cheyech during the 2014 Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Irene Jerotich had won it four years earlier in New Delhi, India.

In Glasgow, Cheyech led Caroline Kilel in a 1-2 podium Kenyan finish.

"Winning medals in Birmingham will, however, not be an easy task since we are still feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most importantly, I am happy that I was included in the national team and I will do my best to repay that faith," said Barsosio.

"My dream was to represent the country at either the World Championships or Commonwealth Games and I am flattered that it came true."

The marathon team is expected to leave for Europe and Barsosio anticipates no travel hitches, having secured her visa already.

Barsosio, a former Cracovia and Sydney marathon champion who survived a road accident as she trained for the 2019 Valencia 10km race, said she is using that setback as inspiration as she embarks on her European assignment.