Matthew Birir and Brimin Kipruto, both winners of the Olympic 3,000m steeplechase title, also worked under the Catholic Religious Brother.
“He also developed female talent such as two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat and former world 800m champions Janeth Jepkosgei and Eunice Sum,” the corporation reports of the coach who is now in his 70s.
Commenting on how he identifies talent in the Britclip video, he said, “You can see a certain amount on the exterior. First impressions can have an impact but very often you have to dig a little bit deeper and go into what they think about it. Are they prepared for the long haul? Are they prepared to keep at it, push through disappointments and failures? Are they prepared to do the hard work to reach the top?”
“The initial eye you have for the sport is only a starting point but there’s a lot more to be done after that because some people can really impress you when they’re young as being very talented but unless they have the head for it as well and the heart for it then the chances of success are very slim,” he said.
The Religious Brother also revealed that he learned the art of coaching in Kenya, adding that he always strives to learn from those he coaches rather than impose his skills on them.
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“I learned my coaching in Kenya and maybe that has an advantage. I think if I approach the athletes as a very highly qualified coach, the danger might be that you would try to impose a lot of what you learned and a lot of theoretical knowledge about the sport. But I reversed the process and I learned from the athletes. They taught me how to coach and I think that also led me into understanding them and understanding what motivates them,” he says.
He also said that he had known Rudisha from the athlete’s childhood and added that he always did his best to maintain close relationships with those he coached.
“I’ve been associated with him (Rudisha) from the time he was in primary school up to the present day,” Br. O'Connell said, and added, “I tried to set up a personal relationship with any athlete that I coached to understand them, understand where they come from, what motivates them, what their level of commitment is, and so on.”
Commenting on how he managed to get Rudisha to the height of his career, he said, “When you produce an athlete of David’s caliber, you’re never even 100 percent sure yourself how it came about. You know it's not all clearly documented clearly as to what makes a great sports person and I think I’ve been very lucky to have had somebody like David who has really responded to my program.”
He said that Rudisha had given up everything to become a successful athlete, adding, “I think, maybe, I just created the environment in which David felt very comfortable in training.”
Br. O'Connell, who previously received a coaching achievement award from World Athletics in 2019 and also has a street named after him in Iten, told BBC Africa that he has found a balance between keeping his Irish roots alive and embracing life in Kenya.
“I've always felt part of my Irish community, and I think that has been a strength to me because there is strength in diversity,” he said, and added, “I've always felt very encouraged by the support I've been given by my family and community in Ireland. And of course, I had a very high level of integration into the Kenyan community.”
The Catholic Religious Brother will be presented with the award by Irish President Michael Higgins at a ceremony scheduled to take place on December 2.
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.