Interviu Joan Chelimo

#interviurileSYR v-o prezinta astazi pe una dintre atletele cu cele mai mari sanse la o medalie olimpica la Paris 2024.

In varsta de 33 de ani, Joan Chelimo , este legitimata la Dinamo Bucuresti si antrenata de Carol Santa. A obtinut cetatenia romana in urma cu 3 ani, impreuna cu alte doua sportive de origine kenyana (Delvine Meringor si Stella Rutto), dar conform regulilor World Athletics a putut concura in lotul national abia in 2024. Deja a obtinut o medalie de argint (semimaraton la Camponatul European) si detine cele mai bune performante nationale la maraton si semimaraton.

In dimineata zilei de 11 august ii vom tine pumnii, pentru ca participa in proba de maraton de pe strazile Parisului.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Ce ti-ar placea sa stie romanii si fanii atletismului despre persoana Joan Chelimo Melly, in afara de performantele sportive?

𝐉.𝐂.: Presupun ca sunt multe lucruri de stiut. Sunt o femeie puternica, sunt sotie, sunt mama si sunt sportiva. Sunt un sustinator ferm al tuturor eforturilor impotriva violentei bazate pe gen. Imi place sa calatoresc si sa descopar lumea. Sper cu adevarat ca pot face lumea un loc mai bun de trait in viitor, pentru fiica mea Ariana si pentru toti copiii viitorului.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Ce stiai despre Romania si sportivii sai inainte sa vii in tara noastra si sa obtii cetatenia? Iti amintesti cateva nume pe care le-ai urmarit in trecut?

𝐉.𝐂.: Stiam ca a fost o generatie grozava de maratonisti, dintre care Costantina Diță este ca o sursa de inspiratie, devenind campioana olimpica atunci cand nimeni nu se mai astepta. De asemenea, stiam ca antrenorul meu, Carol Santa, a avut niste sportivi grozavi in anii 2000 care au mers la Jocurile Olimpice. Mi-a spus niste povesti grozave despre ei.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Au fost destule voci care au contestat decizia federatiei ca voi sa reprezentati Romania, mentionand diferentele culturale si faptul ca sportivii nascuti aici sunt ignorati. Cum le raspunzi?

𝐉.𝐂.: Imi pui o intrebare la care probabil ca Federatia ar trebui sa raspunda. Exista intotdeauna pareri diferite peste tot despre orice. Trebuie sa respectam libertatea de exprimare. Totusi, presupun ca acesti oameni nu s-au informat suficient despre povestea mea si nu stiu prea multe despre atletism. Personal, nu cred ca vreun sportiv roman este ignorat din cauza mea. La disciplina mea, semimaratonul si mai ales maratonul, nivelul din ultimii ani a fost extrem de scazut. Sper cu adevarat ca rezultatele si munca mea vor servi drept exemplu si ca voi inspira tinerele generatii de sportivi. As fi incantata sa vad in urmatorii ani un sportiv roman care ar putea sa-mi bata recordurile nationale. Ar insemna ca am ajutat sportul din tara sa se dezvolte si sa progreseze.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Cu ce ganduri/obiective mergi la Jocurile Olimpice de la Paris? Ati reprezentat deja Romania la Campionatul European (Roma), dar va fi la un alt nivel.

𝐉.𝐂.: Fiecare competitie este diferita, dar trebuie sa recunosc ca nu am experimentat niciodata nivelul de stres si de presiune ca la Roma. Satisfactia a fost insa enorma. M-am simtit atat de mandra si, in inima mea, am fost emotionata stiind ca acesta este doar inceputul in tricoul galben al Romaniei. Va fi si mai greu la Paris, dar stii ce? Ma voi duce acolo si ma voi bucura. Toata viata am asteptat acest moment si la ultimele Jocuri Olimpice fusesem in cele din urma selectata de Kenya pentru a merge la Tokyo. Dar facusem deja alegerea la momentul respectiv si am spus NU. Singurul lucru in mintea mea era sa concurez la Paris pentru Romania. Acum sunt aici si voi trai la maximum fiecare secunda.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠In acest moment ai recordul national al Romaniei la maraton (2:18:04) si esti a patra europeana din toate timpurile. Unde te vezi in urmatorii ani? Ar trebui sa ne asteptam la noi recorduri?

𝐉.𝐂.: Cred ca antrenamentul meu si felul in care imi simt corpul sunt la cel mai bun nivel acum. Desigur, sunt multe lucruri care trebuie sa mearga corect, dar cred ca pot alerga sub 2:15 la maraton. Am in vedere si Recordul European de 10K pe sosea. Cine stie, poate la Brasov.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Care este sportiva/sportivul pe care o/il admiri cel mai mult? Nu neaparat din atletism.

𝐉.𝐂.: Am foarte multa recunostinta pentru Bobbi Gibb, prima femeie care a alergat vreodata un maraton, in 1968. Fara curajul ei, poate nu as fi putut niciodata sa fiu cine sunt astazi. O apreciez foarte mult si pe Constantina Dita, ne-am intalnit anul trecut la Brasov si am fost onorata. Ceea ce a facut la Beijing a fost incredibil. Din alte sporturi, sunt o mare fana a Serenei Williams, desi stiu din multe motive ca nu este atat de populara in Romania, dar strict ca sportiva, cariera ei a fost absolut uimitoare.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Dar pentru un sportiv incepator sau un amator pasionat, care este primul sfat pe care i l-ai da?

𝐉.𝐂.: Sa fie rabdator. Acesta este un sport al pasilor mici. Trebuie sa astepti sa vina rezultatele si sa lucrezi in fiecare zi pentru a fi mai bun.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠La sfarsitul interviului nostru, te rog sa ne spui primele cuvinte pe care le-ai invatat in limba romana si, de asemenea, ce iti place cel mai mult la noi (mancare, locuri…)?

𝐉.𝐂.: Prima propozitie pe care am invatat-o efectiv in romana a fost „Jur credinta patriei mele Romania”. Ceremonia de cetatenie a fost incredibil de emotionanta pentru mine. Desigur, stiu mult mai multe cuvinte, de fapt inteleg mai multe decat vorbesc, dar am tot timpul si vointa de a invata. Imi place foarte mult sunetul lui „Te iubesc”. Cat despre locuri, sunt un fan al Transilvaniei. Imi voi cumpara o casa undeva prin Brasov. La Izvorani am experimentat multa mancare romaneasca si am gasit multe asemanari. Mamaliga este buna, dar papanasii cei mai buni.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Iti multumim foarte mult, ramai in siguranta si mult succes in toate.

𝐉.𝐂.: Intotdeauna o placere.

***

English version:

“𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐍𝐎. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚”

#interviurileSYR presents today the athlete with one of the best chances for an Olympic medal in Paris 2024 from the Romanian athletics team.

At the age of 33, Joan Chelimo , runs for Dinamo Bucharest and is trained by Carol Santa. She obtained Romanian citizenship 3 years ago, together with two other sportswomen of Kenyan origin (Delvine Meringor and Stella Rutto), but according to World Athletics rules she could only compete in the national team in 2024. She has already obtained a silver medal (half marathon at the European Championship) and has the best national performances in the marathon and half marathon.

In the morning of August 11, fingers crossed for her in the Olympic Marathon on the streets of Paris.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠What would you like Romanians and athletics fans to know about the person Joan Chelimo Melly, apart from sports performances?

𝐉.𝐂.: I guess there are plenty of things to know. I am a strong woman, I am a wife, I am a mother, and I am an athlete. I am strong advocate of all efforts against gender-based violence. I love to travel and to discover the world. I really hope that I can make the world a better place to live in the future, for my daughter Ariana and for all the kids of the future.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠What did you know about Romania and our athletes before you came to our country and took the citizenship? Do you remember some names you followed in the past?

𝐉.𝐂.: I knew that we had a great generation of marathoners, out of whom, Constantina Dita stands out as an outstanding inspiration, as she became an Olympic age when no one was expecting it anymore. I also knew that my coach, Carol Santa, had some great athletes in the 2000s who went to the Olympics. He told me some great stories about them.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠There were enough voices that contested the federation decision for you to represent Romania, mentioning the cultural differences and the fact that the athletes born here are ignored. How do you answer them?

𝐉.𝐂.: You are asking me a question that probably the Federation should answer. There are always different opinions everywhere on everything. We need to respect freedom of speech. However, I suppose that these people did not inform themselves enough on my story and know not too much about athletics. Personally, I do not think any Romanian athlete is ignored because of me. In my discipline, the half marathon and especially the marathon, the level in the last few years was extremely low. I really hope that my results and my work will serve as an example and that I will inspire young generations of athletes. I would be delighted to see in the coming years a Romanian athlete that could beat my national records. It would mean that I helped the sport in the country develop and progress.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠With what thoughts/goals are you going to the Olympic Games in Paris? You have already represented Romania at the European Championship (Rome), but it will be at a different level.

𝐉.𝐂.: Every competition is different, but I must admit that I never experienced the level of stress and pressure like in Rome. The satisfaction, however, was enormous. I felt so proud and, in my heart, I was excited knowing that this is just the beginning in the yellow Romanian jersey. It will be even harder in Paris, but you know what? I will go there and enjoy it. I have been waiting for this moment my whole life and the last Olympics I have been finally selected by Kenya to go to Tokyo. But I already made my choice at the time and said NO. The only thing in my mind was to compete in Paris for Romania. Now I am here, and I am going to live to the max every second of it.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠As of now, you have the Romanian national record in the marathon (2:18:04) and you are the fourth European of all time. Where do you see yourself in the next years? Should we wait for new records?

𝐉.𝐂.: I think that my training and how I feel my body are at the best level. Of course there are many things that need to go right, but I think that I can run under 2:15 on the marathon. I also have in mind the European Record of 10K on the road. Who knows, maybe in Brasov.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Who is the sportswoman/sportsman you admire the most? Not necessarily from athletics.

𝐉.𝐂.: I have a lot of recognition for Bobbi Gibb, the first women to ever run a marathon, in 1968. Without her courage, maybe I could have never been who I am today. I also appreciate a lot Constantina Dita, we met in Brasov last year and I was honoured. What she did in Beijing was incredible. From other sports, I am a big fan of Serena Williams, although I know for many reasons she’s not so popular in Romania, but strictly as an athlete, her career was absolutely amazing.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠But for a beginner athlete or a passionate amateur, what is the first piece of advice you would give them?

𝐉.𝐂.: To be patient. This is a sport of the small steps. You need to wait for the results to come and to work every day to be better.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠At the end of our interview, please tell us the first words you learned in Romanian and also what do you like most in our country (food, places…)?

𝐉.𝐂.: The first sentence I actually learned in Romanian was ”Jur credință patriei mele România.” The citizenship ceremony was incredibly emotional for me. Of course I know many more words, I actually understand more than I speak, but I have all the time and will to learn. I really like the sound of” Te iubesc.” As for the places, I am a fan of Transylvania. I will buy a house somewhere around Brașov. In Izvorani I experienced a lot of Romanian food and I found many similarities. Mamaliga is good, but papanași is the best.

𝐒𝐘𝐑: ⁠Thank you very much, stay safe and good luck with everything.

𝐉.𝐂.: Always a pleasure.

***

Multumim domnului Daniel Santa pentru intermedierea acestui interviu.

Dan Spataru

Photo credits: pagina de Facebook Joan Chelimo