Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Two-time New York City Marathon winner. Two-time world record holder. Sunday will be her seventh NYC Marathon.
DOB: May 9, 1973 In Kenya
Childhood Heroes: “It was Kip Keino from Kenya. Then later on Ingrid Kristiansen from Norway.”
Hobbies/Interests: “Oh, I read a lot. Then I like to play with the kids.”
Favorite Movies: “Well, I think I don’t have time to go to movies, to the cinemas [smiles]. I like old movies. I like the one – what do you call it – out of Africa played by Eddie Murphy? Coming To America [laughs].”
Musical Tastes: “I don’t have, no.”
Favorite Meal: “We have ugali – that’s a Kenyan meal. And pasta.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “No.”
Pre-Race Feeling: “It’s normally a little bit nervous.”
Early Racing Memory: “There are two kinds of memories – good or bad. I’ll say a memory I have – I ran with no shoes and then I had my foot…and I had to run all the way with a toenail in my foot (age 10).”
Greatest Sports Moment: “When winning New York. First one, 1994.”
Most Painful Moment: “Was not easy. Was Olympics 2000 Sydney. I caught a food poison and I was really feeling bad for the Marathon. Then it just went like that…and you know, after four years you prepare…it’s painful (she finished 13th).”
First Job: “Auditor (age 18).”
First Car: “Mercedes (silver) from when I won in New York 1994 [laughs].”
Favorite Athletes To Watch: “I like to watch people like Haile Gebrselassie, Bob Kennedy. (Sprinters?) No. (Boxing?) I don’t like boxing! (Tennis?) Well I used to like the two sisters – Williams.”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “I would like to go to New Zealand.”
Childhood Dream: “I wanted to be an ambassador and I didn’t know what kind of ambassador I wanted. But I know now that I’m an ambassador for peace. {She founded the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation which states a mission of “Enhancing Peaceful Relations, Livelihoods and Resilience of Poor People in the Greater Horn of Africa Region Through Sports.”}
People Qualities Most Admired: “Well I would like to see people having good spirits to one another. Down-hearted people.”
Career Accomplishments: Two-time New York City Marathon champ (’94, ’95); 2000 London Marathon winner; 2nd place in Boston Marathon (’96); Set World Record in Rotterdam with a 2:20:47 in ’98 – then bettered that mark by running 2:20:43 in Berlin in ’99.
