FERDINAND OMANYALA REVEALS WHY HE COULDN’T RACE ISHOWSPEED FOR FREE

African record holder and Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala recently addressed the public about why he did not participate in an impromptu race with popular internet personality IShowSpeed during his visit to Kenya. 

Speaking about the incident, Omanyala said it is important to understanding one’s worth, “Once you get to a level where you’re doing your job, nobody can come to your office and start doing pranks on you, right?” Omanyala stated. “You’re doing what you do because you earned that place.”

The sprinter elaborated on the investment behind the “Omanyala brand,” noting that any public engagement carries weight and requires strategic consideration. “I’ve built the Omanyala brand to become what it is right now… anything that I do, when I get into articles or news, everybody wants to read about Omanyala.”

“Imagine me putting in seven hours a day, four months before season, and 44 weeks in a year, for someone to come and pay me with trips and likes, is it fair? For you guys, it’s entertainment, but for me, it’s an input.” 

He highlighted the risks, including the need to alter training and the potential for injury ahead of competitions. “How am I going to explain to my sponsors or my management that I was racing IShowSpeed and then I got an injury?”

With a packed professional calendar, the athlete shared the real-world consequences of such a risk. “We have competitions that have been scheduled… How are you going to cancel those races? They have already paid for your flights… How will I tell them I have an injury because I was doing a promotional race?”

Omanyala also spoke on the principle guiding his career decisions. “When you get to a place where you know your value, that’s the most important thing that you can ever carry with you. Nobody can ever talk down your name, because you understand the value that you bring to the table.”