Stephane Joseph Leresae (born 1937) is a retired Kenyan

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

er, who competed at the

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

and Commonwealth games. Leresae is from

Maralal Maralal is a small hillside market town in northern Kenya, lying east of the Loroghi Plateau within Samburu County, of which it is the capital. It is the administrative headquarters of Samburu county. The town has an urban population of 16,281 (19 ...

. He went to Narok Primary School, where his teacher

William ole Ntimama William Ronkorua Ole Ntimama (February 1928 – September 1, 2016) was a Kenyan politician. He was a staunch supporter of the ruling party KANU, prior to the adoption of the multiparty politics in Kenya in 1990. Ole Ntimama was vocal against multi ...

(who later became a prominent politician) spotted his jumping talent.Daily Nation, July 13, 2002: Leresae competed at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

, finishing 18th in the

. In 1958 he was third in the AAA Championships and finished fourth at the

1958 Commonwealth Games The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18–26 July 1958. Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games ...

. He missed the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

as he was committed to his work at

East African Railways The East African Railways and Harbours Corporation (EAR&H) is a defunct company that operated railways and harbours in East Africa from 1948 to 1977. It was formed in 1948 for the new East African High Commission by merging the Kenya and Ugand ...

. He is an East and Central African champion from 1961 and finished fifth at the

1962 Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. The ...

, although his performance was hindered by the fact that he lost a spike from his shoe and was unable to get a replacement. He once held the British Empire high jump record of 6 feet, 8 inches. Leresae was a

Maasai Maasai may refer to: * Maasai people *Maasai language * Maasai mythology * MAASAI (band) See also * Masai (disambiguation) * Massai Massai (also known as: Masai, Massey, Massi, Mah–sii, Massa, Wasse, Wassil or by the nickname "Big Foot" Mas ...

herdsman.East African Geographical Review, 19:1
Book review: Kenyan Running: Movement Culture, Geography and Global Change
/ref> Until her death, he was married to Anne Gathoni and had 12 children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leresae, Joseph 1937 births Living people Olympic athletes for Kenya Kenyan male high jumpers People from Samburu County Sportspeople from Rift Valley Province Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games competitors for Kenya