Not many people realize what their legs are capable of. 

Your legs could  give you an opportunity to compete in a sport you admire and receive an education 8,043 miles away from home.

Junior cross country and distance runner Vincent Kiprop’s legs have been able to do just that, and he is aware of the blessings that those legs have given him.

At 13 years old in Kericho, Kenya, Vincent began running competitively for the first time, taking after his father. At that time, he had no clue where his legs could take him. In fact, Vincent loves to reiterate that he never knows where his life could take him.

“You can go out and break your legs,” said Kiprop. “You have to plan for all the ways life can go.”

As a nursing major who has been taught to put his academics first since his days at Londiani Boys High School in Kenya, Vincent knows the importance of having a backup plan.

There is no doubt though what Vincent’s plan right now is. That plan is running.

Vincent admits in his younger days, running was not always his plan or even something that he took seriously.

“To be sincere with myself and running, I did not always take it seriously”, Kiprop said. “I would train during the season. That was that. I would stop and train when the season began.”

Vincent has never had a problem with talent, though, and his focus on making the best of things became even more important when his friend was being looked for scholarships in the United States. Vincent networked accordingly and formed a useful bond with coach of Missouri Southern, where he would end up winning back-to-back NCAA Division II 10,000 meter titles.

Vincent realized where his legs were capable of taking him in years to come after two successful years at Missouri Southern.

“I believe that God has great plans for us and he says to use our gifts,” said Kiprop, reflecting on his decision to transfer to Alabama. “

His exposure at a Division I school is something that he is grateful for every day and now that the competition level is getting tighter, his focus on the sport is at an all-time high.

Vincent does not use any music when he runs. He focuses on the finish line and improving from his last race, which can be the ultimate competition when you have been a top competitor all your life. This focus and dedication is what gives Vincent disdain for the term “being pushed”.

“I don’t like to hear the word ‘pushing,’” said Kiprop regarding approaches to coaching. “I came in knowing this is what I liked to do, so ‘pushing’ can mean you are being forced to do something.”

Vincent is instead grateful for the guidance that coaches give him. After all, he gives it up to them for his SEC Runner of the Year accolade.

He does not view his individual accomplishments as anything more than a part of his life’s plan. And as much as he stresses preparing for all of life’s possibilities, he plans to run as long as his legs let him.

“God willing, I want to run to the best possible level I can after I graduate. I now see running as something great,” he said.