Growing up in extreme poverty in a small village in western Kenya, Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s daily life was marked by hardships.
Forced out of school aged 10, he worked long hours herding cattle before forging a career in athletics that saw him top the podium in the 800m at this year’s Paris Olympics.
BBC Sport Africa went to visit the 20-year-old to find out how he is inspired by family and the unexplained death of his father.
Video by Kelvin Kimathi, Brian Khisa and Anthony Irungu.