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A tight training programme that has seen her conduct sessions at the Itten training hub in Kenya and back home in Kapchorwa leave her in good stead and looking forward to 2023 with optimism.
Sports can be a harsh and lonely world, whether it's a sidelining injury or a loss on the world stage. Yet, despite the challenges, there is no shortage of athletes who have beat the odds and bounced back.
Ugandan long-distance runner Stella Chesang promises to be another comeback story as she sets out to become just the first Ugandan female athlete to win a medal at the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, Australia, on Saturday.
Chesang showed her true quality in Gold Coast, Australia, when at only 21, she won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth games.
Repeated injury problems escalated by a break following the birth of her child, Chesang is yet to hit her peak again, failing to make an impact at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, USA and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
The 26-year-old finished 14th in the 10,000m race at Oregon and placed ninth in the 5000m before narrowly missing out on bronze in the 10000m, coming fourth in Birmingham.
But a tight training programme that has seen her conduct sessions at the Itten training hub in Kenya and back home in Kapchorwa leave her in good stead and looking forward to 2023 with optimism.
"Setbacks and these kinds of things are part of the game," she told New Vision, adding, "I was frustrated by how things panned out, but now, I have a chance to attempt history again."
"I'm very confident. The body is in good shape. Hopefully, it remains like this during the race, and then we shall see how the end will be," Chesang told New Vision.
The Kween district born star came short despite being in the front pack for much of the race in Arhus 2019, eventually placing 21st overall, two minutes off Kenyan Hellen Obiri's winning time of 36:14.
Chesang's race to redemption is well underway after she delivered a statement comeback performance at the national cross-country Championship in Tororo, winning the 10 km race by 33:57.
Chesang, who will double as the team's vice captain – deputizing 2019 World Cross-Country champion Joshua Cheptegei, is hoping to use her national form into world beating time in Bathurst.
"In 2019, I was really in good shape, and I was targeting a medal, but reaching Denmark, my shape went down," she said, adding: "This year, I am targeting a top-three finish in Bathurst."
"We are going to function as a team. We believe that all of us in every category must show up and give it our all to make Uganda shine globally," Chesang said as she hopes to draw inspiration from her 2018 Commonwealth Games victory in the 10000m that also came in Australia.
In the highly competitive women's category, Chesang will partner with national half marathon champion and 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Mercyline Chelangat; World Junior champs back-to-back bronze winner Prisca Chesang, and the National Interforces Games champion Annet Chelangat Chemigech.
Others are the Discovery Uganda Championship reigning champions Doreen Chesang and Rispa Cherop.
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