Joan Chelimo has still come to terms with the death of her husband Gervais Hakizimana- the late marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum’s coach.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, February 13, Chelimo stated that she talked with her husband on the phone and even made plans for Monday when their daughter was supposed to start school.
Chelimo indicated that they were all in a jovial mood and agreed to talk more after 20 minutes. She stated that after talking to him on the phone a few minutes past 10 pm, she never heard from him again as promised, only to be called by a friend more than an hour later who shared the sad news.
“My friend told me that Kiptum had been involved in an accident. I was shocked because when he left he was with Kiptum. I hung up at first but my friend called again to ask whether I was with my husband but I said he left with Kiptum,” Chelimo stated.
She however called her mother and informed her about the accident. Minutes later, her friend called again and informed her that Hakizimana had passed on following their involvement in a tragic accident.
According to the grieving widow, the Rwandan national was their sole breadwinner. She told a section of the media that Hakizimana’s death has left a big gap in the family.
“I look at my phone every time thinking that my husband will call me. It’s so hard since he used to call me often,” she said.
Chelimo revealed that Kiptum met Hakizimana while in high school and their bond grew stronger every day. She noted that her husband was keen to help the late Kiptum shatter world records.
However, they all died in that tragic car accident near Eldoret shocking the entire world.
So far, investigators have established that the car that killed Kiptum and his coach had no mechanical issues. It had no breakdown issues and all the parts including brakes were working efficiently, police stated.
Kiptum’s family on the other hand has called for speedy investigations into the cause of the accident.
