Marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei was set on fire by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, weeks after competing at the Paris Olympics.
Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said the Ugandan athlete, 33, was attacked by Ndiema on Sunday after they had a disagreement, according to the Associated Press.
Police claim Ndiema bought a can of gas and poured it on Cheptegei before setting her ablaze in her home in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya. She sustained burns on more than 75 percent of her body.
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Cheptegei’s parents told local police she had recently purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be closer to the athletic training centers.
“The couple [was] heard quarreling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” Kosiom told reporters, per the BBC.
The local chief reportedly stated in his report that the couple was heard arguing over the land where her house was built before the flames began.
The BBC reported that Cheptegei was rescued by her neighbors and is in critical condition.
Ndiema also sustained burns during the attack. He and Cheptegei are receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Cheptegei began racing in 2010.
She competed on behalf of Uganda in the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished in 44th place in the women’s marathon.
In April 2022, Cheptegei won the Padova Marathon and placed second in the women’s 10,000-meter run at the Ugandan Championships in Kampala, Uganda.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
