An Olympic athlete who lost her life after being drenched in gasoline and ignited by her ex-partner is set to be interred today with full military honors.
Rebecca Cheptegei was tragically murdered merely three weeks following her final competition at Paris 2024, perpetrated by her former boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach.
She returned to her residence in the western highlands of Kenya—an area favored by international athletes for its altitude training amenities—when she was assaulted while strolling back from church alongside her two daughters and younger sister, as reported by her family.
She sustained burns over 80% of her body and tragically succumbed to her wounds four days after.
“I don’t believe I am going to survive,” she confided to her father while receiving treatment in the hospital, he recalled.
“If I perish, please lay me to rest at home in Uganda.”
Thus, her body was flown back home one last time.
Rebecca Cheptegei competing in the women’s marathon final at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Paris seeks to commemorate the athlete
Her passing has ignited outrage regarding the pervasive levels of violence against women in Kenya, particularly within the athletics sector. The athlete represents the third top runner to have reportedly perished at the hands of a romantic partner in Kenya since 2021.
Female athletes in Kenya face high risks of victimization and brutality from men lured by their financial rewards.
Ms. Cheptegei’s array of achievements included triumphing at the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand and clinching first place at the Padova Marathon in Italy the following year while also establishing a national marathon record.
Family members mourn next to the coffin of the deceased Olympian. Pic: Reuters
Born in eastern Uganda in 1991, she encountered Marangach during a training trip to Kenya before eventually relocating there to chase her aspiration of becoming an elite runner.
A police report indicates that the couple had a dispute concerning a parcel of land Ms. Cheptegei had acquired in Kenya.
Marangach was charged with the murder of Ms. Cheptegei
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Marangach passed away shortly after Ms. Cheptegei, from burns reportedly sustained during the incident, polarizing opinions within the local running community.
“Justice would truly have meant him facing incarceration and reflecting on his actions,” remarked marathon runner Viola Cheptoo, co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, an organization supporting athletes facing domestic violence in Kenya.
The circumstances surrounding Ms. Cheptegei’s demise left the world astounded, yet her legacy may inspire forthcoming athletes, as the French capital intends to honor her by naming a sports facility after her.
“She captivated us here in Paris. We witnessed her charm, her strength, her independence,” stated the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo to journalists. “Paris will forever remember her.”
