I was born and raised in Kenya, brought up by my mum, a single parent, with lots of challenges just like other kids in my area. As a young boy I was a fan of sports like running and football. Cycling wasn't popular, but one day I saw people racing in my town and I wanted to be just like them. I picked it up straight away and I must say it was a natural fit. Cycling gave me a sense of freedom. It hasn't always been smooth sailing, but I wanted to see how far I could go with cycling as a career. I’m still on this path now, but a few things have changed. More people young and old see me as a role model now, so that's given me an even bigger purpose to do better for myself and for them.