Beyond the finish line: From survival to strength

Evelyn Ruta, Athlete and GBV survivor

Four female athletes’ stories ended in tragedy in the hands of intimate partners, but that is not where the gender-based violence story ends.  Other women in sports have and continue to face physical sexual and emotional abuse, as well as financial control.

Some like Agnes Tirop, Rebecca Cheptegei,  Edith Muthoni and Damaris Muthee did not make it out alive, while some left but still bare emotional and physical scars.

We joined athlete Evelyne Ruta together with other athletes for an evening run. Evelyne’s journey from abuse, financial control and now healing is a clear picture of what the outcome can be if women get support.

Evelyne joined a training camp when she was 19 years old, that was the first time she was training with fellow athletes and in full training gear.

Her first race in 2011 was Kericho Marathon where she was awarded Sh500,000. “I only reached standard 8. I never knew how to handle money so all the money I got went direct to my then husband, he was educated and mature,”

Asking about the age gap between her and her ex-husband she said.

“He’s older, he’s in his 60s and I am 42. I was so naïve I didn’t know much. I never enjoyed life as a young girl. I left my home came to Iten to try and propel my athletic career, I left the training camp and went straight to living with him. Imagine he took my money and furthered his education. When I won my first race, he took the money and went to university until he got his masters,”

Evelyne says she would go for races and would always be top 3 but her money would go to her husband.

“He would give me just enough to buy food for me and the children. I got Sh250,000 from Kilimanjaro marathon, Kisumu Marathon Sh250,000, Mombasa marathon Sh250,000,”

Whenever the cheques would mature, her husband would take to the bank in Eldoret.

“He would give me Sh1,000 ask me to go back to Iten then he would remain in Eldoret for 1 week or 2 weeks and I will not get any other money. Since the money he would give me was not enough, once it ended, I would go and wash people’s clothes so that my children could have something to eat,”

Her life took a nose dive. Her husband started coming home drunk and he would beat her, during that time she had stopped running.

The violence did not stop and in 2016 when she was 1 month pregnant carrying her fourth born, she ended her marriage and went back to doing manual jobs to feed her children.

“He would tell me I only gave birth to girls I can’t give him a boy and he said even the pregnancy he left me with would be a girl. But when I gave birth, it was a boy.” She says

In 2021 a friend told her about a safe house for women, The friend reminded her gain in 2025 and that is when she decided to go.

“When I walked in, I felt a sigh of relief like a load had been lifted. I felt relief in my heart. I listened to the other women and what they had gone through. I went back home so motivated the following morning I started running again,”

She was also given training gear.

“Strides4Africa gave me training shoes. I felt so lucky. Apart from training shoes I got running kits and track suits. Then I went back to training fully,” she adds with a smile

This year in April she raced in the Eldoret City Marathon, and was position 28. On 13th May she went for another race in Tanzania and became position 3.

“Now that was the affirmation I needed. Then 31st May I went for another race in Arusha I was position 6 and I really thanked God.”

Evelyn wants to be financially independent and take care of her children as well as support women who have gone through the same difficulties in life.

Some of the male athletes have openly condemned the acts and decided to sensitize the community and fellow men on matters GBV.

Mika Kosgei Kiptoo, an athlete, says that conflict starts when relationships go sour. “Say I have a relationship with a fellow athlete, then when one of us becomes successful they decide to find someone on their level so most do not know how to handle such situations one would decide to harm the other and lose their career and freedom while the partner is dead. So, I think people should just find healthy ways to solve the problems,”

The County Director for Gender in Elgeyo Marakwet, Joseph Amuke says the cause of violence stems back to finances.

They have been doing community dialogues with athletes, coaches, and camp managers.

 “With support from partners, like UNFPA we have tried to establish the standard operating procedures for GBV which we hope will be adopted by the camps,”

According to Paul Masese, the Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance, they realized the training camps needed to have internal capacities to detect, respond and prevent sexual exploitation.

“Since 2023 we have received support from United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). The principal is that everyone needs to be kept safe that is how we came up with standard operating procedures for detection prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse was molted,”

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) combats gender-based violence (GBV) in sports by strengthening safeguarding in training camps, running community awareness campaigns, providing psychosocial support.

UNFPA also enhances prevention, reporting mechanisms, and accountability protocols to protect athletes from sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as establishing inclusive environments where young athletes can learn about their rights, power dynamics, and consent.

Elizabeth Keitany, Executive Member, Athletics Kenya has sensitized athletes on financial management and channels to report GBV cases.

“We not only train the ladies, we also train the men, the coaches also. We talk to these young upcoming athletes and also elite athletes,”

Kitton Philemon, the County Gender Based Violence Coordinator based at the Iten County Referral Hospital, says when someone who has been assaulted walks in, they start with clinical management.

“Clinical management encompasses physical examination giving out emergency contraceptives for cases of rape and defilement. We also issue post-exposure prophylaxis and collection of evidential materials that is the component of forensic management,” says Kitton adding that they also offer psycho social support.

According to their records the last quarter they have received 17 cases of athletes who have been injured.11 physical injuries and 6 cases of violence. Among them athletes assaulting athletes were 9 and those assaulted by non-athlete spouses were 4.

Patrick Njoroge, Keiyo NorthSub County Police Commander, admits there are challenges when it comes to reporting such cases.

Some victim fear coming out to report. At times it becomes a challenge getting witnesses. We are here to protect you; we also have witness protection unit if they feel they may suffer future violence.”

The police station does not have a safe centre.

Lawyer Lucy Atemo Mwangu advises victims to rush to hospital for health form, a P3 Form and a post rape care form that is used in court. “This shall show aspects of semen or body parts that have been hurt.”

To end the cycle of violence, a new crop of female athletes is being sensitized.  “We know before signing a contract we need to thoroughly understand it. We have been taught how and where to report GBV cases. The camp I am in has brought people to teach us financial literacy, how to save and spend,” says 21-year-old athlete Alice Chemutai.