Naomi Korir finished fifth in Commonwealth mile after years living with congenital fistula

Naomi Korir, a 28-year-old Kenyan middle-distance runner, said she reduced her running because of urine leaks from a congenital fistula and went on to finish fifth in the mile final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in August.

Fistula is a medical condition in which abnormal openings develop between organs and can cause uncontrolled leakage of urine or faeces; the charity Doctors Without Borders estimates that 500,000 women live with fistula globally. Some develop a fistula after childbirth while for others, like Korir, it is congenital; the article notes that access to good obstetrics or simple surgery has almost eliminated the condition in some countries but it remains a problem in sub-Saharan Africa.

Korir said she loved sport as a child but the condition forced her to change how she trained: "I played most of the sports activities: football, netball, athletics, even rugby," she told BBC Sport Africa. She described the impact on training: "But it was difficult because [of] the training, and the urine is flowing continuously. It's bad." To cope, she said, "I reduced my running to shorter distances to reduce the leaking. I began doing 100m hurdles."

Born with a genitourinary tract fistula that caused urine leakage, Korir required surgery; her first two operations failed but a third procedure in August 2013 brought relief for the then 13-year-old. The operation was carried out in her home town Eldoret by the Gynocare Hospital, which specialises in fistula, obstetrics and reproductive health. Gynocare director Caroline Mabeya said: "It's a difficult condition to live with every day," and added, "They are ostracised in the society. That's the psychological torture that they face with the fistula."

The hospital has treated patients from across East Africa since opening its doors in 2011 and runs a post-operation programme intended to help women rebuild confidence. Mabeya said: "We offer free treatment for these women at Gynocare because most of them are very poor," and described how patients arrive "crushed" with "low esteem," requiring substantial effort to reintegrate them into the community.

Korir said successful surgery allowed her to return to education through Gynocare's Young Fistula Programme and to live at what she called "a fistula home" until she finished secondary school. She began competing professionally in 2019 and, two years later, was part of the Kenyan duo that won silver in the 2x2x400m mixed relay alongside Ferguson Rotich at the World Relays in Poland; a year after that she won gold as part of Kenya's 4x400m relay team at the African Championships in Mauritius. The mile at this year's Commonwealth Games was her first appearance in a major global final.

Korir framed her progress as a message for other women, saying: "I'm giving hope to young women maybe who have lost hope. They need to come back again in living and enjoying life." Mabeya said Korir's recovery and career make her an inspiration for current Gynocare patients: "She makes them realise that you can actually pull yourself out of these struggles and still make it in life and succeed. Naomi actually is one of those patients that inspires us to continue working very hard, because we struggle with this condition and these women. The work is not easy." As a child Korir also sang in church and played the keyboard; reflecting on that shift she said, "But now I'm in different career and I'm so happy," she beamed.

With the World Championships in Beijing next year and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 mentioned as future targets, Korir said: "I know I'm a champion in life, because conquering fistula alone is being a champion. Now I'm looking forward to be a champion in sport."