Ultrarunners in Secondhand Trainers
6 hours ago
- #Microcredit
- #Madagascar
- #Athletics
- Haja Nirina, a cycle rickshaw driver in Antsirabe, Madagascar, has honed his athletic prowess and business over five years.
- Antsirabe has over 4,000 rickshaws for 265,000 people, with Nirina making 10-15 trips daily, earning 10,000-15,000 ariary.
- Nirina owns his rickshaw, avoiding rental fees, thanks to a microcredit program by Crown Athletics Club.
- Crown Athletics Club started after a 1997 rickshaw race and now supports athletes with microcredit and training.
- Yann Mayette, club president, motivates athletes to compete internationally, organizing local races and expeditions.
- Nirina and fellow runner Mamie Andrianirina competed in the Mascareignes race in Réunion, finishing second and third.
- Despite inadequate equipment, the club aims to compete internationally, but funding remains a challenge.
- Nirina and his peers, once mocked as rickshaw drivers, are now among Madagascar's best athletes.