Brother Colm O’Connell
Many people who decide to live abroad would say they go without expectations of staying — a challenge to themselves for a few months or a year, before returning.
When the opportunity came to Brother Colm O’Connell to teach in Iten, Kenya in July 1976, he didn’t expect to still be there to this day, nor that he’d become one of the most celebrated running coaches in the world because of his work there.
Joining the Brotherhood
Originally from Mallow, Cork, O’Connell was taught by the Patrician Brothers for most of his education, and gradually found himself interested in the Brotherhood himself, drawn, he says, by “the simplicity of their lifestyles and the commitment to their work.”
Having officially joined the Brotherhood in 1971, and after teaching for a short time in Ireland, he was excited by the opportunity to experience a different lifestyle and culture in Kenya.
Discovering a passion for coaching
Although O’Connell was always interested in sports, it was in Kenya that he discovered his passion for coaching, starting from scratch and learning from those who had come before him.
“The school had built up a significant reputation as a powerhouse in athletics, volleyball, basketball, field hockey and tennis. Gradually some of the young talents in my care began to improve and blossom, eventually graduating to the highest level of the sport, Olympics and World Championships as well as setting World Records,” he explains.
Building bonds
O’Connell says that his background growing up in a rural farming community in Ireland, where he was kept busy helping out with chores on the farm, has helped him to build bonds with the people in Iten. He says staying connected to his roots in Ireland “has enhanced my understanding of who I am and how I can contribute better to the lives and welfare of the people among whom I work.”
Involving women and girls in athletics
Early on, O’Connell realised one of the most important contributions he could make to athletics was by encouraging girls to get involved. He explains that involving young women and girls in athletics gives them an opportunity to be self-reliant, to travel and even to take up sports professionally and become financially independent.
“Very few girls competed in the sport, or indeed, in any sport when I first arrived. If we look at today's performances by Kenyan athletes, we see that our women are very much on an equal footing, if not outdoing our men,” says O'Connell.
Establishing a teacher trainee programme
Alongside his coaching and mentoring, O’Connell continued his teaching career, eventually setting up a programme for young trainee teachers.
“This would enable them to gain in confidence, become better role models and, hopefully, more effective teachers,” he explains about the program, which teaches life skills, leadership and behaviour changes.
Full circle moment
It was these achievements which led to O’Connell receiving the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, which was something of a full circle moment for O’Connell.
While attending University College Galway in the 1970s, he was taught by then-lecturer Michael D. Higgins. O’Connell is still proud of his “Irish-ness” and says he has “always endeavoured to retain my Irish heritage and my interest in Ireland. I am a close follower of political and sporting affairs in Ireland, especially the fortunes of my beloved Cork.”