Delvin Relin Meringor became the first athlete (regardless of gender) to be selected from the Romanian delegation for the Olympic Games in Paris since 2024. On the official website of CSA Steaua (the club to which the marathon player belongs), Delvin says that his life is worthy of the subject of the film.

What you need to know about marathon runner Delvin Meringor

• Delvin Meringor finished third in the Barcelona Marathon (2h 20h 48m), thus qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris next summer.

• She is coached by Valentin Angel and registered at CSA Steaua Bucharest.

• Meringor was born on August 1, 1992 in Kenya, in 2021 he received Romanian citizenship.

The amazing life story of athlete Delvin Relyn Meringor

*We reproduce the material posted on the official website of CSA Steaua Bucharest

Running home from school

She is small, only 1.60 meters and 45 kilograms. He looks like a marathon runner, thin, who doesn’t need to gain a lot of pounds. But how did he start running? “From the first days at school, I started running. My house was more than 5 kilometers, so I used to run from home to school and back. It was like a kind of training. I walked this route for almost 10 years. In addition, my mother sent me to the store in our village, a few kilometers away,” says Delvin.

He lives in Kaptagata, a town in northern Kenya, on the border with Uganda. Her home is at an altitude of 2,400 meters, but when she trains, she climbs to 3,000 meters in the village of Kipchoge.

She left her whole family at home, she has a daughter and a husband. “I have a 6-year-old daughter named Shelley, after Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce (a non-Olympic sprinter from Jamaica).

My husband is very fond of her and I named her after her. He was also involved in athletics for a long time, was a sparring partner,” explains Delvin, who also wants to have other children after finishing her sports career. “I want three or four, no more.”

“My father is rich! In wives…”

Delvin has a large family. His father has 4 wives and 30 children! “He’s rich, but only in wives,” Delvin says with a laugh. “Otherwise, he is not rich. Each wife lives in a different village. He has 8 children with his mother. We are six girls and two boys. I love them all,” says the Kenyan.

Speaks quickly, has to repeat many times to understand. Valentin Angel also explains because he is very familiar with her, notes csasteaua.ro. “He is a huge soul. If you sit and listen to her, if you know her closely, she is a sensational girl,” says the coach.

“Dad has 4 wives and 30 children. So, I have 29 brothers” (laughs out loud). Father is 59 years old, and maternal grandmother is 49 years old. I promised him I’d buy him a TV, and now I have to keep my word.”

“I want to bring my little girl to Romania. Life in Kenya is dangerous!”

Delvin runs for his family, for his little girl. He wants to provide her with a better life. “I would bring my little girl and my husband to Romania because my parents don’t want to come. Life in Kenya is precarious. There are many attacks from rival tribes.” Then provide the details.

“We are part of the Pogot tribe. Our rival tribe is Turkana. When they attack us, we run away from home to a nearby village and come back the next day. Women and children run away, men stay to fight!

We are usually attacked at night, during the day it is quiet. Other famous Kenyan runners are part of my tribe,” explains the marathoner from Steaua, who also adds that he hates these great moments. “Such events give me panic attacks.”

Polenta salad and a first visit to an amusement park

When she comes to Romania, the athlete’s life changes radically. As if living in another reality. She is funny and tells us stories. “I went to Terme two days ago with the coach and Claudia Bobocea. I was afraid to go into the water because I can’t swim, but then I liked it. The water was warm. I also went to the slides. I will also bring my little girl with me,” says Delvin. Also, the most beautiful moment of his life was seeing the sea for the first time.

She is a self-proclaimed foodie, but when you ask her what her favorite food is, the answer leaves you speechless again. “I like polenta with salad the most. Kenya has a similar dish called .

It’s stronger than your ferret. I usually pair polenta with a salad. It’s surprising, but I like it so much,” the athlete says, laughing. Sheep and cows are raised in her village and in her tribe, but she never eats meat. Do not like.

Recovery after a marathon is the hardest

Delvin is very kind, God-fearing. She is Catholic, but also a staunch member of the family. He likes to know that his family is safe. He is most afraid of death. But then he says with a smile. “I didn’t think about dying too soon!”

In terms of marathons, Delvin says that the tough times are those earlier in his training. “It’s a lot of effort. You start by running 25 kilometers, then 30, 35 until you reach the marathon distance. Fatigue is growing. Then, in the race, I don’t feel any more problems.”

“After the race in Barcelona, ​​you know how we went down the stairs? I was moving my legs with my hand (laughs). Usually after a marathon everything hurts, you have a fever, but after two or three weeks the body recovers,” says Delvin, who admires Kenyan marathoner Mary Jepkosgei Keitani, as well as American Emily Sisson.

Delvin Meringor dreams of the day he scores big for Romania and Steaua. But he doesn’t want to talk about it. “There is still a lot of work to do before a medal at the Olympic Games. I want this thing, I really want it. I know that this is the chance of my life to stop being poor,” concluded the first female athlete of the Romanian national team who fulfilled her Olympic standard.