TULIAMUK Aliphine Chepkerker

General
BECOMING A MOTHER IN 2021
She gave birth to her daughter, Zoe, in January 2021. She and her partner Tim had always planned to have a child in 2021 and stuck to their plan despite the postponement of the Olympic Games. "It was a risky move. The window we had was very small because we had to make sure [to have enough] time after having the baby to train [for the Olympics]." She said her pregnancy was stressful as her daughter was "small" and required repeated scans to ensure she was growing enough. "I realised that my pregnancy announcement took most people by surprise, many wondered why I hid it for that long. I am an open book for the most part but pregnancy was different. I was scared and worried from the moment we decided to try. This was the first time anything really scared me as much. I didn't want the world to know until I was in the clear. In the end, I was induced [in January] at 38.5 weeks as Zoe was beginning to show signs of stress. Today [March] my baby is thriving, and growing like a weed. I love her more than life itself." (Instagram profile, 18 Mar 2021; olympics.nbcsports.com, 06 Dec 2020)

FROM KENYA TO THE UNITED STATES
Born in Kenya, she became a US citizen in April 2016 after attending Wichita State University in the United States of America. "I am Kenyan-American. It still feels surreal to say that out loud. When I first came here, I didn't even think that I wanted to stay. When the chance came [to become a US citizen], I realised just how fortunate I am. I didn't even second-guess myself. Now I get to live the American dream." (olympics.nbcsports.com, 06 Dec 2020; atlantatrackclub.org, 29 Jun 2017; espn.com, 14 Oct 2017)

EDUCATION
She first enrolled at Iowa State University before transferring to Wichita State University for a nursing degree. However, she found the course load difficult to manage alongside her training so she switched her major to public health and earned her degree in 2013. Her interest in health care began with the loss of a baby brother to illness when she was age 10. She has worked as a caregiver, visiting the elderly in their homes to assist with personal care or transportation. "It really makes me happy. It makes me feel that I am making a difference to my community. A lot of these people don't have family around. When I am there, I am like family to them. When I'm in big races on TV, they'll be watching and rooting for me." (atlantatrackclub.org, 29 Jun 2017; rudyprojectna.com, 06 Mar 2020; espn.com, 14 Oct 2017; espn.com, 07 Jun 2012)

CROCHETING PASSION
She began crocheting when she sustained a stress fracture in 2019, and started selling her homemade beanies and headbands online. "Six to eight weeks of no running, that drove me crazy. I watched crocheting tutorials on YouTube, and I really enjoyed it. I have never stopped crocheting since. In the beginning, it was just something to take my mind off things. I would stay up until 03:00 and see how many I could make in a day. Each day, I focused my energy on how many beanies I could make, how many styles I could learn. It was very satisfying to see the final product, and this truly distracted me from my injury. Every time I post, I get a bunch of orders. I'm swamped with orders, and then I get more orders. It's probably too relaxing. In the thick of marathon training, I should be able to rest more, take more naps, but I get so excited about crocheting, I completely forget about naps, and before I know it, it's time to do my second run." (runningmagazine.ca, 03 Mar 2020)