"Who is ...?" presents a notable person from the sports and betting business every month.

Dec 2011: Hein Verbruggen
Aug 2011: Gianni Merlo
May 2011: William Gaillard
Mar 2011: Gerhard Heiberg
Feb 2011: Tegla Loroupe
Dec 2010: Risto Nieminen

Who is ...?

Almost 200 people gathered to celebrate the “spirit of fair play” at the World Fair Play Awards Gala organised by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and the International Committee of Fair Play (CIFP) with the support of the World Lottery Association (WLA) and European Loteries Sports (ELS), the sports body associated with European Lotteries (EL), on January 27, 2011. In conjunction with the symposium on sports integrity, this was the first visible result of the newly established co-operation between AIPS and the lotteries represented by WLA and ELS. ELS would like to seize this opportunity to dedicate its monthly online feature „Who is …?“ to the truly remarkable winner of the CIFP Promotion of Fair Play Willi Daume Trophy:


 Tegla Chapkite Loroupe
“Our respect for humanity will make us value other cultures and customs and to offer our support and help when and where needed.”
Biography | Interview | Contact | PDF
Biography

 Tegla Chepkite Loroupe is a former long-distance athlete, winner of the Goodwill Games at 10,000 m, three-time half-marathon world champion, world record-holder at 20, 25 and 30 kms and for a long time the best time for the Marathon. During her impressive career, she won the marathons in – amongst others – London, Boston, Rotterdam, Berlin, Rome, and twice in New York. In 2000, at the Sydney Olympic Games, she came in 13th in the Marathon and 5th in the 10,000 m in spite of suffering from a bad case of food poisoning.

Later on, she set up a powerful action group in favour of peace, women’s rights and education. In 2003, at the age of 30, she launched an annual series of Marathons of Peace in Kenya, Uganda and Sudan under the aegis of her foundation “Peace through Sport”, which involved the participation of  thousands of fighters from these regions in conflict along with Olympic athletes. She also founded a school and an orphanage in Kapengoria (northwest of Kenya). Following her actions for Darfur in 2006-2007, she was appointed UN Ambassador for Sport by Kofi Annan, together with Roger Federer and Australian paralympic gold medallist Katrina Webb.

Tegla Chepkite Loroupe’s extraordinary achievements in her sports career include – but are not restricted to – the following results in international competitions:
Year Competition Position
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, 10,000 m 17th
1993
World Championships Stuttgart, 10,000 m 4th
1994 Goodwill Games St Petersburg, 10,000 m 1st
  New York Marathon 1st
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, 10,000 m 3rd
  New York Marathon 1st
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, 10,000 m 6th
1997 World Half Marathon Championships Kosice 1st
  World Half Marathon Championships Kosice, Team 2nd
Rotterdam Marathon 1st
World Championships Gothenburg, 10,000 m 6th
1998 World Half Marathon Championships Zürich 1st
  World Half Marathon Championships Zürich, Team 1st
Rotterdam Marathon 1st
  New York Marathon 3rd
  Goodwill Games New York, 10,000 m 1st
1999 World Half Marathon Championships Palermo 1st
  World Half Marathon Championships Palermo, Team 1st
Rotterdam Marathon 1st
Berlin Marathon 1st
World Championships Seville, 10,000 m 3rd
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, 10,000 m 5th
  Olympic Games Sydney, Marathon 13th
  London Marathon 1st
  Rome Marathon 1st
2001 Berlin Marathon 2nd
2002 Lausanne Marathon 1st
2003 Köln Marathon 1st
2004 Leipzig Marathon 1st
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Marathon 40th

 
Interview
Which was your most memorable moment in your sports career? The most memorable moment in my sports career was when I won the New York marathon and became the first African woman to win this famous marathon. Because I was a middle-distance athlete they did not want to let me run and it was a struggle to start. The victory opened many doors for me. Another moment I will never forget was to be the first African woman to break the world record at the Rotterdam marathon.
You were named UN Ambassador of Sport by Kofi Annan. What are you doing in this function? I have been named ambassador for peace through sports also by UNICEF. I work in the conflict areas and there especially for the women and children. For example I was in Darfur, Sudan talking for the peace mission. In 2006 I travelled for this matter with George Clooney to China, then Cairo, and back to the UN headquarters in New York to hand in the report. You know, in peace negotiations, sport is an effective and powerful tool where force cannot be used.
Lately you received the Willi Daume Trophy for promoting Fair Play in sports. What is the importance of this award to you? It is not easy to receive this award and it gives me a lot of recognition for the work I have been doing over the last years. So for me it is a big honor to be given the Willi Daume Trophy and it is a massive stimulation to work even harder as it means that somewhere someone sees the good things I do. Normally I spend my time working without expecting anything in return. In this sense this prize is a real reward and will give trust also to the people I work with.
As a former marathon champion you founded the series Peace Marathons. What is the concept/idea behind this? I grew up in a conflict area and for me it is important to give something back and not to forget my people or those who cannot help themselves. I try to give them a voice. You know, where there is no peace, there is no development so my reason behind the Peace Marathons is to have people enjoy harmony so that the kids can go to school and become the leaders of tomorrow.

I am not doing this like other NGOs who give something to the people, write a report about it to become famous and then leave again. No, I have something deep in my heart, I went through hardship as well. This makes me belong to them.
What is it that sport can give to people? Sport gives people hope and fairness, harmony, trust and respect, and also wealth and health. It is a win-win situation for the good of the entire human race.
In your opinion how can (former) athletes help to keep the sport clean from doping, match fixing, etc.? I believe that when you are/were clean you will always have the chance to speak out against drugs and corruption and your actions can make others to become like yourself. I do not believe in someone who was using drugs to be a good ambassador. How could you trust them?

Furthermore, one can work together with federations and governments, e.g. the ministry for sports and/or internal security – there is a war to fight!
How could national regulated sports lotteries help to build and sustain support for the sports movement in Africa? If the lottery is used for a good purpose it will help to build the economic basis for sports and help grass root sports and upcoming athletes. I believe that regulated lotteries can do a lot for the communities all over the world, not only related to sports but in general. For example the money raised by lotteries can be used to build hospitals, training fields, etc. or to provide clean drinking water to the people in Africa. All very essential for sports people!

 
Contact Details Please ask the ELS office for contact details (info@el-sports.org).