Mary Ngugi-Cooper's Unwavering Commitment to Empowering Women In Kenya With Nala Track Club
The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show
CITIUS MAG
4.9 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 17 April 2024
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Mary Ngugi-Cooper has been a formidable force in the Kenyan marathon scene within the past decade.
Mary's journey is not just about her remarkable achievements on the roads; it's about her unwavering commitment to empowering women through the sport she loves. In the wake of a tragic loss that shook the running community to its core, Mary took action by responding to the heartbreaking murder of Agnes Tirop by founding Nala Track Club in October of 2022. Named after the Swahili word for a powerful, successful woman, Nala Track Club is a sanctuary for female athletes.
But it's more than just a club; it's a beacon of hope. Mary's vision extends beyond the finish line, providing not only a safe haven for young women to train but also covering housing and education costs for those in need. Additionally, Nala Track Club has pioneered a groundbreaking coaches training program, empowering women to lead and mentor the next generation of Kenyan athletes. Nike has come on board with the to assist with funding the girls’ basic needs and in-residence scholarships to remove financial barriers
Her story is one of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of sport. It was super nice to chat with her just days before she went on to finish sixth in the Boston Marathon in 2:24:24.
Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Host: Mary Ngugi-Cooper | @maryngugi on Instagram
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You know, finding your best summer shouldn't be so hard. |
| 0:04.0 | Scan your next Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and play for a chance to grab your pass to summer's biggest events, |
| 0:09.1 | including music festivals, the Away for Euro 2024 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024. |
| 0:14.3 | G.B. 18-plus only, promotion ends 19th of May. |
| 0:16.4 | For full season sees, visit coke.k.k. UK slash app slash summer 2024. |
| 0:20.0 | The presenting sponsor of the Citius Mac podcast is on. |
| 0:26.6 | Experience the magic of the pen relays with on races, athletes, new kits, new faces, |
| 0:32.2 | try the latest on running shoe innovations |
| 0:34.4 | customize your gear and more for the full event schedule keep tabs on the pen |
| 0:39.0 | relays website and if you can't be there in person follow on on Instagram for all of the action. |
| 0:44.7 | The city of smack team will be in Philadelphia at Franklin Field for that weekend slate of |
| 0:50.3 | races. We're so excited. Thanks to On for supporting Sidious Mac. |
| 0:54.0 | Hello everybody and welcome back to the Citius Mac podcast. I'm Chris Chavez and |
| 1:01.0 | this is my show where I get the chance to chat with some of the biggest names on the track on the roads within the coaching ranks and across the running industry |
| 1:07.6 | Before we hit our interview, you know we love giving listeners a shout out when they leave us a review on Apple Podcast. |
| 1:13.4 | If you want yours to be read, leave us a five-star review and let us know why you love this show. |
| 1:18.6 | This week's review comes to us from at Kevin underscore Mar 10, wrote it's the running podcast content we didn't know we |
| 1:27.6 | deserved from race preview to meet recaps it's the conversations and stories that for so long went untold love the coverage and |
| 1:35.1 | energy that the Citius-Magg crew brings to the sport. That's the whole mission here |
| 1:38.8 | at Citius Mag is to make you care about the athletes and also tell some of those often overlooked or forgotten stories so |
| 1:44.3 | thanks for your review Kevin. |
| 1:46.8 | My guest for today's episode is Mary and Googie Cooper, a formidable force in the Kenyan |
... |
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