The 2023 world 800m champion Mary Moraa has revealed she is finally rediscovering her rhythm after a medical scare that nearly forced her to walk away from athletics altogether.
Moraa showed encouraging signs of a return to form at the National Police Service Track and Field Championships on Wednesday, where she stepped down to the 400m.
The seasoned middle-distance ace clocked 53.68 seconds to finish second behind former national champion Mercy Chebet, who stormed to victory in 52.57. Competing in her first race since last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, Moraa admitted she was simply grateful to be back on the track.
“It’s by the grace of God that I am competing again. I almost threw in the towel a while ago owing to a medical condition, but I am glad that it has been fully addressed,” Moraa shared.
The Kenyan star disclosed that her health struggles first surfaced during last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. “I experienced general weakness and dizziness at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“I thought all was well after going through to the finals at the worlds, but the situation worsened at the tail end of the final, leading to urgent medical attention. I stayed behind for treatment as Team Kenya left Tokyo for Nairobi,” she added.
In Tokyo, Moraa faded to seventh place in the 800m final in 1:57.10 in a race that saw compatriot Lilian Odira seize victory in 1:54.62 ahead of Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell (1:54.90) and Keely Hodgkinson (1:54.91).
After undergoing a battery of medical tests and treatment, Moraa says she was recently cleared to resume full training and competition.
“After several tests and treatment, the doctors gave me a clean bill of health a few weeks ago to resume training and competition.”
She also paid tribute to the medical teams that guided her recovery. “I want to thank a combined team of doctors from Team Kenya, Tokyo, Aga Khan Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospitals for the good care, advice and assistance,” she said.
Buoyed by her comeback outing, Moraa expressed satisfaction with her silver-medal performance in the 400m, which also contributed valuable points to her unit.
“Happy to have clocked 53.68 seconds to win silver in the 400m for a good comeback at the National Police Service Track and Field Championships today, earning points for my RDU (Rapid Deployment Unit) team.
“I will soon announce the event I will participate in at the National Championships next month.”
Looking ahead, Moraa hopes to secure a lane in the Diamond League circuit as she builds toward qualifying for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
“I hope to compete in a few Diamond League events at the tail end as I look forward to next season, which will have the World Athletics Championships in Beijing. The event has a high qualifying standard time of 1:57.50.”
