Brother Colm O'Connell (born 18 August 1948) is an Irish

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

and

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

, known as "The Godfather of Kenyan running". O'Connell is originally from Caherduggan,

Mallow, County Cork Mallow (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland, approximately thirty-five kilometres north of Cork (city), Cork City. Mallow is in a townland and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of the same name, in the Fermoy (barony), barony of Fermoy. ...

. He joined the

Patrician Brothers The Patrician Brothers officially named Brothers of Saint Patrick (), abbreviated F.S.P. is a Catholic lay religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men founded for the religious and literary education of the youth and the instruction of th ...

at the age of 14, training in Tullow, County Carlow, and went on to study at National University of Ireland in Galway, formerly

University College Galway The University of Galway () is a public university, public research university located in the city of Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Ga ...

. He spent two years in Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge before departing Ireland for the

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley () is a series of contiguous geographic depressions, approximately 6,000 or in total length, the definition varying between sources, that runs from the southern Turkish Hatay Province in Asia, through the Red Sea, to Moz ...

in Kenya in 1976 to teach geography at St. Patrick's High School in Iten, Keiyo District, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. He came to Iten expecting to stay just three months. He has lived in Iten ever since. Despite having no coaching background, he began helping aspiring young athletes and he took over training athletes from Peter Foster, brother of British runner

Brendan Foster Sir Brendan Foster (born 12 January 1948) is a British former long-distance runner, athletics commentator and road race organiser. He founded the Great North Run, one of the sport's most high profile half-marathon races. As an athlete, he wo ...

. Today, he has 120 training camps and is known as "the Godfather of Kenyan running". His work with the youth has included

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

training. Twenty five of his students have gone on to become world champions, and four have won Olympic gold medals. His students include

Edna Kiplagat Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat (born 15 November 1979) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She was the 2011 and 2013 World Champion in the marathon. She established herself as an elite marathon runner with wins at the Los Angeles and Ne ...

Florence Kiplagat Florence Jebet Kiplagat (born 27 February 1987) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time world champion, having won at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. ...

Lornah Kiplagat Lornah Kiplagat (born 1 May 1974) is a Dutch professional Long-distance track event, long-distance Running, runner. She was born in Keiyo District, Kabiemit, Rift Valley Province, Kenya and moved to the Netherlands in 1999. She gained Dutch cit ...

Linet Masai Linet Chepkwemoi Masai (born 5 December 1989) is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events. She won her first world title in the 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletic ...

Mary Keitany Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (born 18 January 1982) is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. She was the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01. As of November 2022, she ...

, Ibrahim Kipkemboi Hussein,

Peter Rono Peter Kipchumba Rono (born 31 July 1967) is a former Kenyan athlete, who won the 1,500 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Career Born in Kamobo village, near Kapsabet, Rono won the gold medal at the Africa Cross Country Championships in ...

Matthew Birir Matthew Kiprotich Birir (born 5 July 1972) is a former athlete from Kenya and a winner of the 3000 m steeplechase at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Biography Born in Eldama Ravine, Matthew Birir started running, when he attended the famous St. Patr ...

, Sammy Tirop, Haron Lagat, Janeth Jepkosgei,

Viola Kibiwott Viola Jelagat Kibiwot (born 22 December 1983 in Keiyo District) is a runner from Kenya who specialises in the 1500 metres. Kibiwot won her first international medal as a junior runner at the 2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where sh ...

Brimin Kipruto Brimin Kipruto (born 31 July 1985) is a Kenyan professional middle-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was born in Korkitony, Keiyo District. He holds a personal best of 7:53.64 minutes which is the ...

, Joseph Tengelei, Isaac Songok, Wilson Boit,

Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (born 11 September 1983) is a Kenyan Long-distance running, long-distance runner. She represented Kenya at the Athletics at the Summer Olympics, Summer Olympics in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning the silver medal i ...

Michael Kipyego Michael Kipkorir Kipyego (born 2 October 1983) is a Kenyan runner who competes in marathon races. He was initially a specialist in the 3000 metres steeplechase and was the 2002 World Junior Champion in the event. He represented Kenya in the stee ...

Augustine Kiprono Choge Augustine Kiprono Choge (born 21 January 1987) is a Kenyan middle distance and long distance runner. He won world youth and junior titles on the track in 2003 and 2004, eventually going on to set a world junior record for the ...

Wilson Kipketer Wilson Kosgei Kipketer (born 12 December 1972) is a Danish former middle distance runner. With a personal best of 1:41.11, Kipketer is tied with Emmanuel Wanyonyi as the second fastest of all time over the 800 meter distance, behind David ...

David Rudisha David Lekuta Rudisha, State Commendations of Kenya, MBS (born 17 December 1988) is a retired Kenyan Middle-distance running, middle-distance runner who is the world and Olympic record holder in the 800 metres. Rudisha won gold medals in the 800 ...

, and

Rhonex Kipruto Rhonex Kipruto (born 12 October 1999) is a Kenyan Long-distance running, long-distance runner. Kipruto won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships and was the List of world records in athletics, world reco ...

. O'Connell is credited in starting the influx of female athletes to Iten in the early 1990s when he trained and hosted World Champion

Sally Barsosio Sally Barsosio (born 21 March 1978 in Keiyo District) is a Kenyan distance runner. , Barsosio is the youngest ever medallist at the World Junior Championships in Athletics, at 14 years and 182 days. Career In 1993, aged 15 years 153 days, she wo ...

Rose Cheruiyot Rose Jelagat Cheruiyot (born 21 July 1976) is a runner from Kenya. She competed in the 5000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2000 Summer Olympics. She is married to Ismael Kirui. The couple completed an unusual double, when they both wo ...

and world junior champion Lydia Cheromei. In 2001, O'Connell was awarded an honorary MA from

NUI Galway The University of Galway () is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. The university was founded in 1845 as "Queen's College, Galway". It was known as "University College, Galway" (UCG) () from 1908 to 1997 and as ...

for his services to Africa and to Athletics. Credit to his work as a coach is covered in "the 'Man on a Mission' - O'Connell and the rise of Kenyan Athletics" by Jamie D'Alton and Anne McLoughlin documentary. The documentary ''Man on a Mission'' was presented by Irish former athlete, and now senator, Eamon Coghlan. In 2012, O'Connell was awarded an honorary doctorate by

Dublin City University Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) () is a Third-level education in the Republic of Ireland, university based on the Northside, Dublin, Northside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Highe ...

. Olympic and World Champion David Rudisha joined him on the trip to Ireland, visiting Galway, Mallow and Newbridge.Bro. Colm O'Connell
DCU Presidents Office.Bro. Colm O'Connell given Honorary Doctorate by DCU
www.rte.ie O'Connell was awarded an Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Arts, Culture & Sport in 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OConnell, Colm Living people Irish athletics coaches Athletics in Kenya Athletes from County Cork Alumni of the University of Galway Irish Christian monks 20th-century Irish monks People from Mallow, County Cork 1948 births