Virginia Nyambura Nganga (born 20 July 1993) is a Kenyan

runner Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

who specialises in the

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

. She was the gold medallist in the steeplechase at the

2010 Summer Youth Olympics The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics ( ta, 2010 கோடைக்கால இளையோர் ஒலிம்பிக் விளையாட்டுக்கள் ms, Sukan Olimpik Belia Musim Panas 2010), officially known as the I Summer ...

and won her first senior medal at the

2015 IAAF World Relays The 2015 IAAF World Relays was the second edition of the biennial, global track and field relay competition between nations. As in the previous year, it was held in May in Nassau, Bahamas. Apart from contesting for the Golden Baton for the best t ...

, where she was a member of the Kenyan team which broke the African record for the distance medley relay. Her personal best for the

3000 metres steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, a ...

is 9:13.85 minutes, set in 2015.

Career

She began her career as a junior

cross country runner Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

, placing third at the 2008 Athletics Kenya series meet in 2008 and managing fifth at the 2009 Discovery Cross Country Championships. By the end of 2009 she had improved her best for the

to 10:13.6 minutes.Virginia Nyambura Nganga
IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-05-16. She won the Kenyan youth title in 2010 and, in her first international appearance, easily defeated her Ethiopian rival Tsehynesh Tsenga to the

2000 metres steeplechase The 2000 meter steeplechase is a rarely run senior athletics and a standard youth athletics event for the steeplechase in track and field. The event is part of the athletics programme for boys and girls at the IAAF World Youth Championships in At ...

gold medal at the

. She acted as

pacemaker An artificial cardiac pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the natural cardiac pacemaker) or pacemaker is a medical device that generates electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to the chambers of the heart eith ...

IAAF Diamond League The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...

competition in 2013 and 2014, but showed her individual talent by winning the 2014 Abdijcross cross country meet. She paced the Glasgow Diamond League 3000 m steeplechase which resulted in a North American record, two national records, and a world youth best. Nyambura was selected for the Kenyan distance medley relay for the

– her first senior national call-up. She anchored the team to the silver medals behind a world-record breaking American team. As part of the Kenyan team, she helped break the African record and Commonwealth record with their time of 10:43.35 minutes. She had her first major individual victory at the Doha leg of the

2015 IAAF Diamond League The 2015 Diamond League was the sixth season of the annual series of outdoor track and field meetings, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It consisted of fourteen one-day meetings, starting on 15 May in Do ...

. Charged with pacing duties, she led up to 2000 m, then continued the race to score a victory in a personal best of 9:21.51 minutes.

Personal bests

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

– 4:10.0 min (2015) *

– 9:13.85 min (2015) *

– 6:02.16 min (2015) ARMulkeen, Jon (2015-09-06)
Redemption for Sharp, Amos and Harper Nelson in Berlin
IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-11-16. * Distance medley relay – 10:43.35 (2015) – team of Selah Jepleting Busienei,

Joy Nakhumicha Sakari Joy Nakhumicha Sakari (born 6 June 1986 in Chepkoya, Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , c ...

, Sylivia Chematui Chesebe and Nyambura

International competitions

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nyambura, Virginia Living people 1993 births Kenyan female middle-distance runners Kenyan female steeplechase runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya Diamond League winners Youth Olympic gold medalists for Kenya Youth Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) 20th-century Kenyan women 21st-century Kenyan women