Go Lesotho!

With the Olympics in full swing, I wanted to take a minute to recognize the athletes of Lesotho who will be participating in these Olympics Games.

True, the Olympics really aren’t related to the work we do at TTL, but I love any excuse to celebrate this small nation I’ve come to love.

And you never know…maybe one day in the future one of our babies will be competing in the Olympics!

The story of Lesotho’s Olympic athletes provides a unique illustration of the struggles and strengths of the Basotho people.

Lesotho has a small…only five athletes…but proud Olympic team.

The video below highlights Olympic marathoner, Tsepo Ramonene.

Like many other Olympic commercials, this clip strikes that magical, motivating note.

But the story that accompanies it – the trials of this young man who runs no matter the day – transforms this video into something so much more powerful.

Tsepo runs to support his family…his parents and siblings.

He drinks tea and eats bread during training and before races…all that he can afford.

And when asked about what he would do with more money, he states that he only wishes to attend high school…his family could not afford to send him when he was younger.

Tsepo’s story is an interesting contrast with Michael Phelp’s 10,000 calorie/day diet and training regiment, to say the least.

Despite these challenges, Tsepo is an Olympic athlete.

He will run at the Olympics…he will tell the world about this mountain kingdom…and he will inspire all the children who live here to keep running.

…

More about the Lesotho Olympic team at The Guardian.

TTLF Fellow

The TTLF Fellow is a representative of the North American organisation The Tiny Lives Foundation. Based for one year in Mokhotlong, Lesotho, the TTLF Fellow serves in an administrative support capacity for the Basotho charity TTL.

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