Kenyan-American Exchange Program Established

Surprisingly, it’s difficult finding American runners willing to take part in the program.

Mike Solomon, a former runner for the University of Kansas back in the early 1970s, has begun a new training exchange program between runners in the United States and Kenya. The program is called “Sports Exchange”. Solomon is partnering with Frank Murithi and Lawrence Gitonga in the project. Murithi is an athletics manager who has been working with elite Kenyans for many years.

“Everything from our climate to our nutrition makes Kenyan runners strong,” he says.

The current challenge is finding American athletes who are willing to make Kenya their temporary home. According to Solomon, there are issues finding collegiate athletes who can take time out of their busy schedule to go to Africa for a semester.

Both Solomon and Murithi are also working to find Kenyans who can come to the United States. According to both men, most Kenyan candidates for the exchange come from poor families and these types of running scholarships are one of the only ways out of Kenya.

Solomon has spent the last 10 years traveling between Africa and the United States to promote his new program.

For More: Kansan.com