Interval Session #9 - Joash Osoro Leading the HL#7-ranked Bismarck ND boys team this season is a runner whose name stands out on the roster of fellow Dakotans. Joash Osoro, an undefeated junior for the Demons, was born in Kericho, Kenya. Both of his parents died from AIDS when he was just 7 years old, leaving Joash and his two older brothers to live with relatives who initially took them in, but eventually refused to care for the the boys. Orphaned and subsisting in a one-room mud hut, Joash honed his academics enough to be accepted to a Catholic school, where he eventually attracted the attention of an American missionary. His journey to the United States three years ago was by no means straightforward, but he eventually ended up living in Bismarck, North Dakota, with one of his brothers and a guardian family. He attends St. Mary's High School and competes during the fall for Bismarck High. Last year, his first as a cross country runner, he placed second in the North Dakota state meet. This season he's upped the mileage, gone unbeaten and is poised to lead Bismarck in a defense of its state title in Minot, ND on October 27th. DyeStat assistant editor Dave Devine busts out the hat and gloves and heads north for a few miles with a remarkable young man.

1) You had a long and difficult journey to arrive in North Dakota from Kenya. Can you briefly share with our readers how it was that you came to live in the United States? I came to the United State because my brother was here and a missionary said that if I had good grades that I could come to the United States. Both of my parents had passed away so I needed to be with my brother. In 2005 my grades were good enough, so I moved to the United States with my brother and our guardian parents Mark and Patti Armstrong in Bismarck, ND. 2) Kenya is known as the homeland of many great distance runners. If there's a part of Kenya that Americans have heard about in regards to running, it's Eldoret in the Rift Valley. Where are you originally from in Kenya? Is there a tradition of running in your community or your family? I was born in Kericho and moved to Kisii when my parents passed away. Running wasn’t real popular in this region. There were track meets, but not real often. My brother Calvin ran track and field, but not in Kenya, only in the USA. 3) I've read that you considered yourself more of a soccer player than a runner when you first got to North Dakota. Can you talk about your first attempts at running, and what actually got you hooked on the sport? During soccer practice in the USA we would run four miles in the mornings, and I would do very well. My brother told me that I would be good at cross country so I joined track at St. Mary’s in 2006. That season I qualified in the 1600m and 3200m. I went on to finish 7th in the 1600m and 4th in the 3200m that spring. After that track season I decided to go out for cross country. I finished 2nd place in the state cross country meet that season. 4) Kenya to North Dakota...that's quite a change. What things surprised you when you first arrived in the United States? What things seemed completely unfamiliar or strange? What things were the same, no matter where you lived? How did you adapt to the cold winters? The culture and the people here were much different, but the transition was made easy by the friendliness of the people. The food was way different and I wasn’t used to sitting down to eat with a family. The summer weather is the same as it is in Kenya, but the winter months are much different. I never went outside very much at first in the winter. The first time it snowed, I walked to school and froze my hands. After a while I got used to it and then I started running with Andrew Reichenberger who was on the cross country team at Bismarck High School, which made it easier. 5) Some people assume that East African runners who compete in the US are naturally talented and don't have to work as hard, but you've worked very hard to get where you are today. Can you talk about your training, how many miles you run, and your toughest workouts? My highest mileage has been in the 70 mile range, with 2-4 morning runs per week. When I first started training I would run 40 or so miles a week and have steadily increased since starting cross country. Here is a workout that we did this season. I did 20min warm-up and then 6 x 1000m with 75 sec recovery and averaged 3:04 with the last one being 2:58. We then did 4 x 200m finish work and 20 min cool down. We also do a very long run every week, that can be as long as 14 miles. 6) If I understand your situation correctly, you attend a school called St. Mary's and run for Bismarck High. How does that relationship work? Is it difficult to move between those two schools? Have you found it easy to blend in with the guys on the Bismarck team? St. Mary’s does not have cross country so we co-op with Bismarck High School [during cross country season]. St. Mary’s does have track & field in the spring. The schools are located very close together so getting between the two schools in very easy. I get along very well with the guys on the Bismarck High School team and train in the winter and summer with them. 7) What things have the guys on the team introduced you to, in terms of American culture? Music, movies, etc. What things have you shared with them from your homeland? The people in the USA have introduced me to almost everything, from socializing to everything that a teen does in their free time. I have cooked Ugali for the cross country team after practice. 8) What's one thing you're doing now in North Dakota, that if your friends back in Kenya saw you doing, they'd give you a hard time about? How about one thing they'd be proud of? They would give me a hard time about the way I dress. In the USA we wear shoes and in Kenya we never had shoes on our feet. They would be proud of the way that I am running and that I am using my talent. Photos by Dave Zittleman

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