Missionary Patrician Brother, Colm O’Connell, the legendary Irish missionary, and athletics coach known as the “Godfather of Kenyan Running”, recently visited his old colleague and good friend Michael Murphy in Bennettsbridge.
Bro. Colm is from Mallow, Co. Cork. He lives in Iten in Kenya and has spent the last 50 years teaching, lecturing, and coaching athletics. He is presently back in Ireland for a short holiday with family and friends and recently visited his old school friend and colleague Michael Murphy and family in “Gaffer’s Barn”. Michael worked with Bro. Colm in St. Patrick’s High School, Iten in the 1980s. The school which was founded by the Patrician Brothers in the 1960’s.
On arriving in Kenya over 50 years ago Bro. Colm got involved in coaching athletics mainly in middle distance events. He had the ‘Midas touch’ and many of his athletes went on to win world championship titles and gold medals in the Olympics. It was in Kenya he discovered his passion for coaching and learning from those who had gone before him.
A modest man, Colm has built up a worldwide reputation as an Athletics Coach. Iten, where he is based in Kenya, is known as the Home of Champions. It is at a very high altitude in the Kerio Valley and athletes from all over the world visit to train there. He is retired now but was Principal of St. Patrick’s High School which became one of the best high schools in the country. Colm has trained twenty-five world champions and five Olympic gold medallists at St. Patrick’s school.
Among his most noted winners are, Peter Rono, 1986 World Champion. David Rudisha, world, and Olympic record holder who won gold medals in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic games. Janeth Jepkosgei, World Champion, and silver medallist in 2008 Beijing Olympics. Wilson Kipketer, silver medallist in 2000 Sydney Olympics.
