Mark Otieno has opened up about how God has opened doors for him this season and before he returned to competitive running despite a few mishaps that even saw him fail to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.
Speaking to Pulse Sports Kenya exclusively, Otieno noted that he survived all the struggles and somehow managed to go through every day and every process smoothly. He admitted that the comeback journey was not a walk in the pack but with the guiding hand of God, it became a lot easier to go through every process and manage every challenge along the way.
The 31-year-old added that he got well-wishers who were able to finance his travel to meets abroad since he did not have enough finances to push him through that but was in awe of what his trust in God has earned him so far.
He explained that trusting in God even when things look unclear has been the highlight of his comeback journey and he lacks regrets concerning the same. However, Otieno added that he got himself questioning God after missing the Paris Olympics but got himself to see it positively and believe that it was for the better.
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“Without God, I would not even be here today…He has moved so many mountains for him and I’m eternally grateful for that. I did not know what bouncing back would look like and I had some doubts but I cast it all to Him,” Otieno said.
“I never knew how I would finance my trips abroad to go for races but He somehow brought people who volunteered to pay for my trips, and accommodation among others. During the time I was out, I did not know how we managed to survive, but God did it for me,” he added.
Meanwhile, Otieno tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid methasterone and was suspended from the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games moments before he was due to compete in the 100m heats.
He made a comeback to competitive running mid-last year, competing at the 5° Meeting Brazzale in Italy where he finished second before calling it a season.
This year, he has raced in several events starting with his indoor tour before competing at the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas. Otieno then proceeded to the Kenyan Olympic trials where he did not achieve the qualification time for the Paris Olympics.
He did not rest on his laurels as he raced at the Africa Athletics Championships where he was unable to get to the final of the men’s 100m and did not achieve the Olympic qualification time either.
