Hardship in Kenya prepared us mentally: Zane Robertson

Bengaluru: It’s been a decade since Zane Robertson, along with his twin brother Jake, packed their bags and moved to Iten, Kenya from New Zealand in their quest for glory.

For sure, that was the direction of their journey. The logic of the move, at the core of it all, was flawless. Long distance running has long been the forte of African nations and moving there would, potentially, gave them the best chance of becoming successful.

“The dream started in high school,” recalled Zane during the World 10K media session on Thursday. “We joined a run club and within a year we were already national champions. In 2006, we met a lot of Kenyans and bonded with them. We asked if we could come to Kenya and train with them. They were very welcoming and supportive of the idea, so it grew from there,” he remarked.

A smile flits across the Kiwi athlete’s face recalling his parents' reaction to their African sojourn. “Of course when you tell your parents that we wanted to go to Africa and train, they thought we were crazy but they knew us and knew we would work, earn and do it anyway,” he said.

It has been a tough decade for the brothers, especially in the beginning, but looking at his career now, there is little doubt that the 27-year-old Zane ranks it amongst the best decisions he ever made.

Clutch of achievements
An Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, only the fourth non-African runner to come under an hour in a half marathon; these are just some of the fruits of his achievements over the past decade.

“Things weren’t easy. We spent the first year living on a single mattress on the floor. Survived on Ugandan food just like everyone one else. There were times when we ran out of funds. Luckily, we were supported by some of the big names in the sport like Patrick Sang and Eliud Kipchoge. They helped us a lot in the early days.

"I think, that hardship prepared us mentally for our careers. What we do is not easy. Along being strong physically, we also need to be strong mentally,” revealed Zane, who received death threats last year on his outspoken views on doping in Kenya.

As far as performances went, it wasn’t all rosy in the beginning either. “No one really saw any world class results (in the beginning). As we stayed on, we kept improving. We were never stuck in the mud and that kept us hopeful for the future. Slowly but surely, the results kept coming and now, we are on top of the world running amongst the Africans," said Zane.

An achievement that comes, as Zane explains, from knowing their competitors inside out. “If you put yourself in their mindset then I think you can be on their level. You can see it from the start line. You always see them trying, even if they know they are not as good as this guy, to be in the front group. And one day, they will succeed and be there at the finish. Both my brother and I put ourselves in their position,” he signed off adding that both he and his brother, who is nursing an abductor injury, will be back here next year.