SOME DREAMS COME TRUE

But sometimes you have to wait a little while...

What a week it's been. Yesterday was Monday, then I blinked and here we are waking up to the day after #NaneNane in Nairobi. I can't tell you where my week has gone but I have been busy... I had a great plan to post an article each day and I started so well, and everything was going great until My kids came to visit and my well-laid plans disintegrated to dust. Schools are closed so I get to hang out with my boys more than usual. Co-parenting is hard... but that is a story for another day! Today we are talking about Olympic Joy and Pain.

LETSILE TEBOGO - 200M OLYMPIC CHAMPION - BOTSWANA

He hails from the African Nation of Botswana which is around 600,000 square kilometres in size 80% of which is desert.... for bearing, Botswana is a similar size to Madagascar and is just slightly smaller than Texas or slightly larger than France. Take your pick.

The Okavango River runs through the center of the Kalahari Desert, creating the unique ecosystem known as the #OkavangoDelta, from which the abundant bird and wildlife populations flourish. The Okavango River Delta is one of the world's largest inland deltas and is home to over 120,000 Elephants.

He is barely into his 20s and as a Junior athlete, he showed up in Nairobi for the #KipKeinoClassic and torched the track and everybody to dust. That day I made a mental note to remember his name. He has been running fast times and knocking at the door for a couple of years now and this week his dream materialized as if from nothingness. When the starter gun went off, there was only one thing on his mind, Olympic Glory! When he hit that bend both #Lyles and #Bednarek the American duo were right there with him, and then he shifted gears, and "poof" blue dust was all that was left as he sped past the finish line banging his chest and holding his game face, right through to the end. 19.46 Secs Is the recorded time. A New African Record! Take a Bow Tebogo! Africa has a newly minted sprint sensation. This guy is gonna make waves.

BEATRICE CHEBET - 5000M GOLD MEDALIST (WOMEN) - KENYA

Kenyan Female Athletes are doing their thing and flying our flag with pride in the Summertime Olympiad of #Paris2024. There was disqualification drama for our Superstar #FaithKipyegon but after appeal her coveted Olympic Silver Medal was restored to its place around her neck. The night however belonged to another pocket rocket. She has played second fiddle to Faith for so long but not this time. While drama seemed to engulf her compatriot's race, Chebet steered away from any trouble spots and timed her run to Olympic Perfection. This Golden Moment will live long in her memory. Welcome to the High Table #BeatriceChebet! Enjoy the feeling... you have earned your place among the 5K Olympic greats. By the way, she is still only 24 years old, so a bright future beckons. Hopefully, her star will continue to shine. But for now, dream on girl dream on!

Sifan Hassan, got her bronze medal as she looks to assault a multi-race program at these Olympics. For her, the 10K comes next. But Bronze will do her nicely while she waits her turn for gold.

FERDINAND OMANYALA - 100M (MEN) - SEMI-FINALIST - KENYA

Everyone wanted him to do well. A nation collectively willed him onto the podium but alas, the Olympics are also a graveyard of broken dreams. Omanyala should however not despair. His journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Omanyala received a 14-month suspension after testing positive for the prohibited substance betamethasone, a ban which could have cost him any chance of representing Kenya again. He maintains his case was a result of pain medication he received for a back injury and wasn't intentionally doping.

He survived that drama and rose to unimaginable heights first Qualifying for the #Tokyo2020 Olympics Post Covid and then repeating the feat to make #Paris2024 his quest for gold. But such is the journey of the pro athlete... sometimes victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat, and other times the occasion can overwhelm. Whatever the case may be. It is what you do now that will matter the most because yesterday is gone. So Wash, Rinse, and Repeat! In other words, Get up my brother, and let's go again! Chin up! Wewe bado ni wetu!!!

FEMKE BOL - MIXED 4 X 4 RELAY GOLD - NETHERLANDS

Budapest was harrowing. with the finish line in sight and a medal beckoning, Femke tripped, and the World Championship medal she was so ardently chasing, vanished into thin air. Those demons must have loomed large in her head as she lined up for the anchor leg in the Mixed Relay Final. Picking up her baton way behind the leaders, Femke let loose a piece of sprinting magic that few will even dream of let alone witness in their lifetime. Head up, eyes straight ahead, her long loping stride ate away the track like pizza shared among friends on a boozy Friday night! She reeled them all in and in the final few meters, she swept past her American opponent and secured a famous victory for the Dutch.

It seems these Olympics have some wonderful stories like how #Djokovic's Quest for Gold took him 20 years and Four Olympic Tournaments. Take a moment to let that one sink in. Yah!!! So Femke is in good company when it comes to redeeming moments. Djoko is still in tears over on Centre Court but spare a thought for his compatriot #Alcaraz who is just barely 20 and is at the very beginning of his journey for gold. Such is the quest! It is a blessed gift but it can also be a burdening curse. But, you get to choose how you let it make you feel. Dreams or Nightmares?

On this night, however, Femke's Nightmares have been well and truly vanquished. She stands tall. Now an Olympic Champion. You wear it well girl, You wear it well.

MIJIAN LOPEZ - GRECO ROMAN WRESTLING - OLYMPIC CHAMPION - CUBA

Sometimes you hear a story and you do a double-take because it doesn't seem possible. Mijian Lopez and his Olympic Quest are the stuff of legend. In 2004 when he was winning his first gold medal, some competitors here today had not been born. It speaks to his dedication, discipline, and resilience that he has remained at the top of his game for so long.

I could embellish this feat with words but that would just spoil the moment. So I will just leave the Image there as an ode to his greatness because what else is there to say?

We salute you! #MijianLopez walked off the Competition Floor for the final time without his shoes, signaling an epic end to an outstanding career, There must be something in the Cuban water or is it those precious Cubano cigars? Heck! Who has some of that magic potion?

JULIEN ALFRED - 100M OLYMPIC CHAMPION (WOMEN) - SAINT LUCIA

The most awaited showdown for the Blue Riband event at the Olympics turned into a procession because Julien put her foot down and turned on the gas from the get-go. Shacarri Richardson tried to put on the afterburners to catch her but discovered that the fuel wasn't burning quite as cleanly. Her chase died right there and she had to settle for silver as Alfred blew past everyone to claim her moment in the sun. If a word had not been invented to describe pure unadulterated glee... then we would now be calling it the #JulienAlfred. She was so happy! and most probably still is. It is a high that no drug can mimic. That realization that she was now the Olympic Champion will live long in her memory. Dreams indeed do come true... welcome to the party #JulienAlfred. #HakunaMatata Hapa!

ARMAND DUPLANTIS - POLE VAULT (MEN) - GOLD & WORLD RECORD - SWEDEN

His name is Mondo! Like he needs to be introduced... really!!! Everyone on planet Earth probably knows who he is. There are kids somewhere in Africa painting their bodies in white clay so that they can mimic the charisma of the Flying Viking who defies gravity at will. I say this because right now I have painted my face white just to get into the mood to write this story. Hehehehehehe!!! It's called the #MondoEffect.

First, he chilled and read the paper in his sleeping bag, and then when he joined the competition some guys were already on their way out. and then finally it was just him, jumping into the heavens and then falling back down to earth to lap up the rapturous applause of his adoring fans. And then, when he had finally won gold, he moved the bar up to 6 meters and 25 cm a new World Record height. After two failed attempts at this height, he consulted Merlin in his sleeping bag and returned with the fix, soaring into the high heavens and leaving us all wondering if this was a dream or real life.

This was the #TheMondoDuplantisShow complete with a dazzling light show and ecstatic ringing of the Winners Bell. Truly some gods walk among us. Long may his star shine.

WINIFRED MUTILE YAVI - 3000M STEEPLECHASE (WOMEN) - BAHRAIN OUT OF MAKUENI

The Steeplechase race is probably the most difficult track event to execute outside of the 400M hurdles. These events require technical excellence and then muscle endurance that is second to none. Yavi hails from Ukambani. An arid land area in Kenya where the sun bakes down on the earth and water is hard to find. But she left her homeland as a 15-year-old girl and headed abroad to pursue her athletic dream in Bahrain.

She returned to the World Championships in Budapest last year and emerged as World Champion, catching many by surprise. She was elated at her achievement and set herself a target for Olympic Gold. There were no surprises this time around... Her competition knew who she was and there was a target on her back. But this little wisp of a girl was not fazed. She took on all comers and in one of the most epic races in Olympic History, the girl from Makueni prevailed. The dance that followed will one day break the internet as will her plug with #SnoopDog who was so thrilled to meet her.

I watched her dance around and scream with joy. and I could not help but join in her infectious laughter. That right there is the Olympic Spirit Embodied. Born in a land far away from her adopted Nation, she channeled all her experiences to power her to Olympic Gold.

And that my Friends is my Olympic Summary thus far. Join me on Sunday when I share my thoughts on the Aggravating Opening Ceremony that split global opinion so visibly. I choose to draw a line in the sand and move on from that maddening moment. As you can see, the true spirit of the Olympic Ideal still prevails in these highlighted performances. Enjoy what's left of the games and we shall see you on Sunday for a recap. This is #TheSidewalkProphet saying Dream baby Dream!