Kip Kangogo proud to represent Canada

When Kip Kangogo lines up for the marathon representing Canada for the first time at the Pan Am Games in July, it will have been 14 years since he first immigrated here from Kenya and began dreaming of wearing the maple leaf.

The 36-year-old grew up in Kabarnet, Kenya, the small town that was also the childhood home of Paul Tergat, once the world record-holder in the marathon. It sits about 300 km north of Nairobi, the country’s capital, and about 50 km from Iten, a town known for being the home to a disproportionate number of the world’s greatest distance runners.

Kangogo was 21 when he first moved to Lethbridge, Alta, to attend Lethbridge College, though he didn’t stay long, soon earning himself a scholarship to Bringham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he competed for two years. He then transferred to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth to finish his school, but always planned to return to Lethbridge.

“It started right away when I was here in August 2001,” says Kangogo of his home in Alberta. “I stayed here for a few months and there was homesickness but soon I settled down and got to know the place and the culture and how the people behave and how they approach life. I knew from 2001 that I wanted to run for Canada one day. I made a commitment and it’s been inside of me all along.”

When he returned to Lethbridge, Kangogo immediately began working on gaining permanent residency which meant he needed to live there one year before applying. In 2010 he gained permanent residency, which then became a search for citizenship. That came true in April of 2014 when Kangogo wrote his citizenship test.

“I kept pushing and pursued my citizenship and then last year in April I got a letter from the Canadian Migrations and Citizenship office that I could write my citizenship test,” says Kangogo. In an unlikely coincidence, the same day as the morning he wrote his test in the Lethbridge courthouse, there was a citizenship ceremony later that afternoon.

The test was marked by noon, Kangogo passed, and at 2:30 p.m. was given citizenship. Often new Canadians have to wait months for heir citizenship ceremony, sometimes in a different city.

“It took a long time but I was always pushing and pushing and being optimistic and I knew one day I was going to get it. However long it was going to take I was still going to keep training and pushing myself so one day I could run for this great nation.”

Kangogo lives in Lethbridge with his wife Florida, also from Kabarnet and their two-year-old daughter Emma who shares a birthday with her mother. He’s coached remotely by Rick Mannen, also the coach of Krista DuChene.

“Every person that I coach has their own story and Kip is special,” says Mannen. “I’m proud and honoured to be working with him.” Mannen also sees many similarities between DuChene and Kangogo: they both have strong family values and are strong in faith.

“Everyone has their own story and Krista’s and Kip’s are pretty unique,” says Mannen.

The men’s marathon will be held on Saturday, July 25, on a hilly course which loops through High Park in Toronto’s west end. Kangogo’s been doing more hills in training to prepare for the day, when he’ll line up with London, Ont.,-native Rob Watson. He may have only been given citizenship one year ago, but the two have known each other for a long time, both being regulars on the Canadian road racing scene for years.

Kangogo became a Canadian champion in May at the Calgary half-marathon, out-kicking Olympian Reid Coolsaet.

“I am very excited and so happy,” says Kip about representing Canada. “It’s a dream come true for me. This is what I’ve been waiting for. This is what I’ve promised. It was a promise I made inside of me and it’s a great joy. I will be proud wearing the Canadian uniform and running for my country. There’s nothing bigger than that, running for your country.”