Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala is this weekend expected to continue with his impressive performance on the global stage as the World Athletics Championships kicks off at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, United States.
Omanyala flew out of the country last evening after a Visa hitch that nearly saw him miss the competitions.
In a past interview, Omanyala shared that athletics, just like many other careers, has its share of challenges. The latest setback is not any different.
Omanyala attributes his success on the track to hard work and having a supportive wife by his side.
The star's wife is called Laventa Amutavi. She is a social worker by profession.
Omanyala's wife is a mother of one
The couple has been blessed with a son, currently about three years old. Quinton Omanyala was born while the lovebirds were still in university, Laventa at Moi University and Omanyala at the University of Nairobi.
Laventa disclosed, in an interview in September last year, that the birth of their son threw them into a financial crisis since they were in school and didn't have a reliable source of income.
"I thank my family for they came on board to assist but it reached a time that we went broke since, in as much we got support, we didn't have a salary to sustain us," she told Lynn Ngugi in a YouTube interview.
The couple's financial fortunes changed three months later after they enrolled the boy on an online competition.
"At the end of the competition, we made it to the top three and we were awarded Ksh100,000. This really saved us because we were sinking into debt. After tax, we received Ksh80,000 which we survived on," she revealed.
Athlete
Just like Omanyala, Laventa is also an athlete. In fact, the couple met during inter-university competitions a few years ago. Their love would later blossom leading to marriage.
“In 2017, after performing well in university championships both in Kenya and East Africa, I was chosen to represent Kenya at the World University Games in Taipei. Coincidentally Omanyala, who I had started dating the previous year was also headhunted for the games. The officials did not know we were dating," she said.
Loves 100-meter dash
Laventa's favourite race is the 100-metre sprint competition that Omanyala seems to have mastered. She has participated in several competitions with her best time being 12 seconds.
Participates in long jump competitions
Laventa has also specialized in long jump competitions. She has featured in several long jump competitions in the past.
Worked at Mama Lucy
After completing her studies at Moi University, Laventa got a job at Mama Lucy Hospital.
According to her, she received overwhelming support from her colleagues at the hospital after the birth of their child.
" I got help from people. At Mama Lucy I found another family, they were very helpful, we became more than friends and family, they really supported and stood with us, they gave me locums and that is how we survived."
She used some of the money she used to earn at the hospital to support Omanyala who was at the time struggling to make a living.
“We had a baby, and I was in a financial position to help. I knew the potential Omanyala possessed and that is why I gave him time to pursue his dream. I am glad it is paying off,” she said.
