Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Kenyan middle-distance runner Naomi Korir has opened up about the medical condition, stigma and repeated surgeries she endured as a child before returning to athletics and reaching the final of the women’s mile at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Korir, 28, was born with a congenital genitourinary fistula, a condition that caused continuous urine leakage and significantly affected her childhood and early ambitions in athletics. Her experience, which lasted for 13 years, included two unsuccessful surgeries before a third operation finally resolved the condition in 2013.
Her story has emerged following her performance at the Commonwealth Games, where she finished fifth in the women’s mile final in 4:40.62 at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow. World Athletics records show that Korir had earlier qualified for the final after finishing fourth in her heat in 4:31.80.
A childhood shaped by a medical condition
Korir said her love for sport began early. She participated in several activities, including football, netball, athletics and rugby.
However, her medical condition made physical activity particularly difficult.
The fistula, an abnormal connection between organs, caused continuous urine leakage. Korir told BBC Sport Africa that the problem affected her ability to train and forced her to reduce her running distances.
She eventually turned to the 100-metre hurdles because shorter events made it easier to manage the condition.
Beyond the physical challenges, Korir also experienced social isolation.
She said sport became an important way of maintaining a sense of belonging at a time when some people avoided her because of her condition.
Rather than abandoning sport altogether, she continued participating because athletics gave her an opportunity to remain active and connected with others.
Three surgeries before a breakthrough
Korir’s medical journey involved several attempts to correct the fistula.
According to the BBC report, her first two operations did not resolve the problem. In August 2013, when she was 13, she underwent a third operation at Gynocare Hospital in Eldoret.
That procedure was successful and eventually allowed her to return to running without the difficulties she had experienced throughout much of her childhood.
Gynocare director Caroline Mabeya told BBC Sport Africa that fistula can carry significant social and psychological consequences for affected women, including isolation and stigma.
The facility provides treatment and post-operative support aimed at helping patients regain confidence and reintegrate into their communities.
For Korir, the support went beyond medical treatment.
She also continued her education through Gynocare’s Young Fistula Programme, eventually completing her secondary education.
She described the facility as a place where she received both medical and educational support after her surgery.
From recovery to international athletics
The successful treatment marked a major change in Korir’s life.
She eventually pursued athletics professionally, beginning her professional career in 2019.
Her progress subsequently took her onto the international stage. She was part of Kenya’s mixed relay team that won silver at the 2021 World Athletics Relays in Poland, according to the BBC report. She later won gold as part of Kenya’s 4×400-metre relay team at the 2022 African Championships in Mauritius.
Korir has also established herself as a competitive 800-metre and middle-distance athlete.
World Athletics lists her personal bests at 1:59.19 for 800 metres, 4:08.57 for 1,500 metres and 4:31.80 for the mile.
In June 2026, she finished second in the women’s 800 metres at the Kenyan Championships and Commonwealth Games trials in Nairobi with a time of 2:00.85, helping secure her place on Kenya’s Commonwealth Games team.
Commonwealth Games milestone
The Glasgow Commonwealth Games represented another significant stage in Korir’s career.
Kenya sent Korir, Teresiah Gateri and Rosemary Longisa into the women’s mile competition. All three Kenyan athletes reached the final.
Korir qualified after recording 4:31.80 in the second heat.
In the final, she finished fifth in 4:40.62, behind Australia’s Abbey Caldwell, Jessica Hull and Claudia Hollingsworth, and Canada’s Lucia Stafford.
The result represented Korir’s first appearance in a major global final, according to the BBC report.
Her Commonwealth achievement came after she had previously missed opportunities to compete at major championships, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Before Glasgow, she had even considered ending her athletics career, according to earlier Kenyan reporting.
A wider issue beyond athletics
Korir’s experience also draws attention to the wider problem of fistula, particularly its social consequences.
According to figures cited by the BBC from Doctors Without Borders, about 500,000 women globally live with fistula. While the condition can occur after childbirth, Korir’s case was congenital.
The condition has become less common in countries where access to appropriate obstetric care and surgery is widespread, but it remains a significant challenge in parts of sub-Saharan Africa where access to specialised treatment can be limited.
For patients, the problem is not necessarily limited to the medical symptoms. Stigma, isolation and difficulties returning to normal community life can also become part of the experience.
Korir’s journey illustrates how medical treatment, education and social support can influence a person’s ability to rebuild their life after a debilitating condition.
Korir looks towards the next chapter
After reaching the Commonwealth Games final, Korir is now looking beyond Glasgow.
She has spoken about ambitions that include competing at the 2027 World Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Her message also extends beyond athletics.
Korir said her experience has given her an opportunity to encourage young women who may have lost hope because of difficult circumstances.
Her journey from a childhood medical condition and repeated surgeries to the Commonwealth Games final has made her story relevant not only to Kenyan athletics but also to discussions around access to treatment, stigma and rehabilitation.
For Korir, overcoming fistula represents an achievement in itself. Her continued pursuit of success on the track is now the next stage of a sporting career that once seemed uncertain.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- BBC Sport Africa — Naomi Korir’s 13-year battle with fistula and her journey to the Commonwealth Games final.
- World Athletics — Naomi Korir’s official athlete profile and Commonwealth Games results.
- Citizen Digital — Report on Kenya’s athletes reaching the Commonwealth Games mile final.
- The Star Kenya — Background on Naomi Korir’s athletics career and Commonwealth Games selection.
- Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) — Kenya’s athletics results at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
