Rotarians Join Hands to Host Cameroon Boston Marathon Team

Honesdale, PA/ Dyberry Township — On Monday, April 21, four athletes from Cameroon in West Africa achieved their dream of running in the Boston Marathon. Hosted by the Himalayan Institute since their arrival in the U.S. on April 15, the athletes ran as part of the Elite Group in the 112^th Boston Marathon—the first time athletes from Cameroon competed in the prestigious Marathon.

The three men and one woman from the Milano Kumbo Sports Academy in Kumbo, Cameroon, finished the 26 mile race with impressive results despite the cold temperatures prior to the start of the race.

In the men’s elite group of 14,844 runners, Eric Mangeh Mbacah (age 24) took 32^nd place, while Justilin Foimi (age 23) took 39^th. Januarius Bongkiyung (age 35) also made an impressive finish in the men’s elite group at 598^th. In the women’s elite group of 10,439 runners, Immaculate Wirngo (age 23) placed at 1,058. “Running in the Boston Marathon and finishing in the top 1% to 10% of all racers makes us very happy,” said Wirngo. The athletes overcame many obstacles to reach the Boston Marathon.  “We didn’t have the means available for extensive training and only had two weeks of training with the National Coach, which changed us completely.

Even though we had a lack of money, we were still able to come thanks to the support of the Himalayan Institute and Milano Kumbo Sports Academy. We’ve now seen this race with our own eyes and I’m feeling fantastic,” said Bongkiyung. He went on to say “We’re proud to make history for the people of Cameroon. Our training at the Academy has gone a long way, and I’m hoping we can continue our work and return next year.” After the race, Foimi said “We’re amazed at our performance and wonder how much more we could have done if we had proper [warm-up] facilities.” Mbacah summed up the sentiments of his fellow runners: “We’re extremely happy to realize our dream to take part in an international competition like the Boston Marathon and meeting athletes from Kenya and other countries. This is what we have been dreaming of.” 

At a celebratory dinner hosted by Ipswich Rotarians in the suburbs of Boston, Rachel Williams, District Literacy Chair, remarked “It was inspiring to see the determination of the human spirit. These athletes came from difficult circumstances yet they succeeded in such an important race.”

 

The Cameroon delegation included Mr. Roland Kiven Mbenkum, Executive President, Milano Kumbo Sports Academy, Mr. Jean Claude Kammogne, National Coach for long distance and mountain races, and the team physician, Mr. Amougou Oyono. Institute representatives also accompanied the delegation to Boston. “We did more than we expected,” said Mbenkum. “Our runners were among the top 50 in wave one” he continued. “The U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon telephoned me and she will receive us at the airport when we return to Cameroon. As a Boston native, she is very proud of our accomplishment in this race.” The delegation leaves for Cameroon on April 24.

Operated entirely by volunteer support, the Milano Kumbo Sports Academy is a leader in community sports and youth programs in Cameroon. It was conceived and founded by Mbenkum, who is also President of the Kumbo High Court. He had a vision to serve the community and underprivileged children by offering a constructive and empowering alternative to the petty crime and unrest he observed in his judicial practice. “In the High Court, you see kids going to jail for small things…the Academy gives them a chance to use their natural talents to do big things. You can see that they want to do something” he said. “The runners have accomplished so much on their own running in Cameroon has lost its challenge for them. International races are the next step. With a lot of willpower and contributions from many directions, what seemed very far has now been achieved.”