After debuting in World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and bagging a bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase, Edmund Serem says this is the start of an exciting career.
Serem who is also the 3,000m steeplechase World Under-20 champion has an inspiration in two-time Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge.
He is following in the footsteps of other greats with the goal of matching or surpassing their performance, saying age was on his side.
The 18-year-old Serem has started a build-up training for the next season with gym sessions before he heads to the track ahead of various upcoming races next year.
"Another season is already on, and I have started training, and my target is to impress and bag more medals in the next season. "
At the Tokyo games, he settled for a bronze in a race won by New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish with Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali winning a silver medal.
Having made it to the podium in all the Diamond League races last season, the athlete is confident that “something special” awaits him.
Having been inspired by multiple World and Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi, Serem believes he is destined to become the next king of the 3,000m steeplechase because he grew up watching Kemboi perform, win and celebrate.
For Serem, the mission goes beyond personal glory; he wants to reclaim Kenya’s dominance in the steeplechase, a race the country once ruled with an iron grip through legends like Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, Conseslus Kipruto, and Richard Mateelong.
The recent rise of Ethiopian and Moroccan challengers has only fuelled his determination, and he believes Kenya must return to the top — not just for pride, but to honour the legacy of those who came before him. Winning the medal is only a matter of time, he quips.
“Another season is already on, and I have started training, and my target is to impress and bag more medals in the next season. We have Commonwealth Games and various Diamond Leagues and that is why I need to start early preparations for better results,” said Serem who is coached by Patrick Sang.
-Bernard Rotich