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The skier from Kenya

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with cross-country skier Philip Boit, the only athlete to represent Kenya at the Winter Olympic Games.

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This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN: Philip Boit is Kenyan and he was a runner.  Philip Boit, did you run barefoot?

PHILIP BOIT: Yes.  Of course.  I could say its funny, but I really ran barefooted when I started my running in Kenya as almost everybody in Kenya does that when we are still young.

MARCO WERMAN: Now Philip, you gave up running years ago, but you’ve not given up on representing Kenya internationally in sports.  You’re hoping to be in Vancouver next month as a cross-country skier competing in the Winter Olympic Games.  That’s still up in the air, though at this point as you haven’t qualified yet.  Philip, you join us from Seattle.  Tell us, you came from a family of runners.  Your uncle won a bronze medal in the 800 meters at the Munich Olympics.  Why did you give up running fro cross-country skiing?

PHILIP BOIT: For sure, there are still a lot of questions.  People have been asking so much about that because Kenyans, we are doing very well in running.  Also, my – - was been very good running.  But I find out that we are overcrowded in Kenya with running, so I was trying to venture into a different sport, skiing, or a winter sport.

MARCO WERMAN: Right, you got some sponsorship the first time around.

PHILIP BOIT: Yes the first time around about four years, I got sponsorship with Nike, that was the 1996 all the way to Olympic, 1998 and after that Nike quit.  But for me, it was not the end of skiing.  I went on skiing.

MARCO WERMAN: So, you’re having problems with getting sponsorship.  Why do this?  What is it about cross-country skiing that keeps you going?

PHILIP BOIT: For me, I think my muscles, running muscles all – - to skiing muscles, which I was not going to go back running again.  So I said I have to pursue this career all the way.  Even though I don’t have sometimes sponsorship, but I fight all the way that I should keep on going.  That’s motivation that I should keep on going with skiing.

MARCO WERMAN: It’s pretty difficult to keep going because you come from a country where you can’t really train.  I mean there’s very little snow to speak of in Kenya.

PHILIP BOIT: In Kenya we don’t have snow at all.  Maybe in the big mountains like Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, up at the mountains which we cannot make it as it’s so high.  So I have been coming to Europe, mostly to Finland, but sometimes I skip about one or two years without skiing.

MARCO WERMAN: How did you manage to pay to come to the United States on this trip?

PHILIP BOIT: My ticket was paid by Olympic Committee of Kenya.  They did pay themselves.

MARCO WERMAN: When you’re in Kenya, Philip, what do you do?

PHILIP BOIT: I do farming.  I do a little bit farming, having some cows and also planting maize or corns.

MARCO WERMAN: How much have you had to rely on agriculture to underwrite your Olympic bid?

PHILIP BOIT: Yeah, I – - because – - I have to sell some of my farming goods also and put into my training.  Or sometimes I can sell even some cows and paying my payment of training area so I get assistance also from my family.

MARCO WERMAN: You were the first athlete to represent Kenya at the Winter Games.  How are you feeling about your chances right now?  You’re still trying to qualify for the Games in Vancouver.  Do you think the Olympic Committee will give you an exemption?

PHILIP BOIT: Oh yeah, I hope so.  I was in very good shape – - and Finland.  I had already skied and got 302 points and they wanted 300.  So I needed only two points to take away so that I would be qualified, but they needed 300.  And I had some problem – - in Kenya.  When I arrived in U.S. about two, I stayed about two or three days and I was sick.  I got fever and flu and it was like decreasing my power or my speed.  When I competed in U.S. I really went down.

MARCO WERMAN: Vancouver would be your fourth and final Olympics.  What will you do if you can’t compete?

PHILIP BOIT: For now I’m still positive that I will go because the way I can see, it looks positive for me.  I think I’ve not put that option of not competing.  I still have that positive attitude for the Olympics.

MARCO WERMAN: Stay positive man.  We’re rooting for you.

PHILIP BOIT: Thank you.

MARCO WERMAN: Philip Boit is hoping to represent Kenya at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  He’s currently petitioning the IOC to get an exemption to allow him to compete.  Thank you very much for speaking with us Philip.

PHILIP BOIT: Thank you very much.

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