Orienteering in Kenya

Orienteering without borders is the motto of the Thermenland Open orienteering event which was initiated three years ago as a cross-border cooperation project between three orienteering clubs in Slovenia, Hungary and Austria. An additional element to this project was the participation of athletes from Kenya at this year’s Thermenland Open event organised in Lenti in Hungary.

… the first Kenyan orienteering champs will be organised on Sunday, 17 February in Nairobi – 1st Kenyan Sprint Orienteering Championships.

However, the 3-week stay of Esther, Kim and Sammy in Fürstenfeld this summer is only the start of a more extensive cooperation with Kenyan orienteering. A range of different common activities and support projects are planned on the basis of this impressive “friendship without borders“, and a number of these initiatives are already in progress. Ursi Kadan, one of Austria’s most promising young orienteers, has been staying in Nairobi since the beginning of September and is planning to be there for 6 months. You can read details of her stay by going to www.orienteeringwithoutborders.com and then clicking on Ursi´s weblog (in German – or translated to English using Google here). In February six more orienteers from TV Fürstenfeld will travel to Kenya for a 3-week long visit. Another invitation to Kenyan orienteers to come to Austria is also planned for summer 2008.

During the visit to Kenya the first Kenyan orienteering champs will be organised on Sunday, 17 February in Nairobi – 1st Kenyan Sprint Orienteering Championships – within the framework of the cooperation project. The map for this event is being drawn with Ursi’s guidance, and the event will be organised by the orienteers from TV Fürstenfeld in close cooperation with their Kenyan friends.

Photos from competition-area for1st Open Kenyan Sprint-Orienteering-Champs in February. See also details about the competition in World of O Calendar.

A website is being constructed in order to raise the profile of orienteering in Kenya.

A website is being constructed in order to raise the profile of orienteering in Kenya – this will be built up at the following location: www.bushtrekkers-kenya.com. If you would like more information about orienteering in Kenya, take contact at the e-mail address given at www.bushtrekkers-kenya.com.

Pictures below: Sammy won category M21 Hobby at Thermenland Open (picture from prizegiving seremony). Other photos are from a trainingcamp with the youth-team on Hebalm mountains in front of Großglockner (highest mountain in Austria).

Source: Thomas Krejci