NCAA champion and Olympic hopeful Sam Chelanga serves God and country in the U.S. Army
Liberty University alumnus and U.S. Army Capt. Sam Chelanga (’11) is leaning on his faith as he looks to represent his country through both his military service and as a potential member of Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Sam Chelanga competes for the Army as a member of the WCAP.
Growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, Chelanga began running with the hopes of receiving an athletic scholarship from an American college. His prayers were answered when he accepted an offer from Farleigh Dickinson (N.J.) University; he transferred to Liberty a year later. As a Flame, he became a four-time NCAA champion in cross country and track & field and set the NCAA record for the 10-kilometer run at 27 minutes, 8.39 seconds — a record that still stands today. Under the leadership of former Track & Field Coach Brant Tolsma, Chelanga felt motivated to compete to his highest potential as a Flame and a follower of Christ.
“The best thing I can remember is at Liberty there was this idea that we represent Christ in what we do,” he said. “And there was that pride of saying, ‘You know, if you actually are representing the most powerful being that exists, why wouldn’t you do the best you could?’ And for me, that was freeing.”
Despite not knowing any English when he moved to the U.S., Chelanga said his adjustment was much easier because of the faith that he shared with his peers at Liberty.
“I personally believe that Liberty was easier because we all speak the same language,” he said. “We all believed in God, and that is what we wanted to do our best in.”
“The opportunities I got at Liberty and in the United States are because we as a country have made a bunch of sacrifices. Some of us have paid the price to give freedom and opportunity to everybody. Young kids and young adults need to know that it’s not just something that comes (for free). I don’t want to take it for granted.”
After graduating with a degree in government, he began racing professionally and signed a contract with Nike in 2011. He won six USA Track & Field titles and finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to become an alternate for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In 2017, he finished 11th in the senior men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda, the top showing for a U.S. athlete.
Even after his success as a pro athlete, Chelanga had a different finish line in sight: becoming a U.S. citizen. He completed the naturalization process and took the oath in 2015. The honor he felt as an American stirred in him a desire to serve his country. In 2018, he retired from professional running and joined the U.S. Army.
“I wasn’t born here, but I did get my opportunity here. I made something out of myself here,” he said.
“The opportunities I got at Liberty and in the United States are because we as a country have made a bunch of sacrifices,” he added. “Some of us have paid the price to give freedom and opportunity to everybody. Young kids and young adults need to know that it’s not just something that comes (for free). I don’t want to take it for granted.”
Chelanga soon began running again, with the hopes of competing for Team USA in the marathon in the 2020 Olympics. (He finished 21st at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, falling short of qualifying for Team USA.) Soon afterward, he became acquainted with the Army’s World Class Athletes Program (WCAP) that helps current service members train for specific Olympic cycles while fulfilling their military duties. He moved to Fort Carson, Colo., where the program is based, with his wife, Marybeth, and three sons Micah, Joseph, and Jeremiah.
Chelanga said he currently runs between 120-140 miles every week when he trains for a marathon, and between 100-110 miles when training for half-marathons.
Chelanga will get another chance to qualify for the Olympic Games when he competes in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Marathon on Feb. 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. Through training with the Army, he can already see the fruits of his labor. In February, he finished first in the Mesa Half Marathon in a time of 1:03.32. He is currently ranked in the top 100 in the world in both the 5K and 10K races.
Chelanga also continues to keep the pace in his spiritual life, sharing life lessons with others. He published his first book in 2020, “With the Wind: Finding Victory Within,” a testimonial about trusting in God for guidance throughout life.
Chelanga joined the Army in 2018.
“One of the big reasons you see people struggle in life is because they have plans for everywhere and everything, but a lot of people overlook the spiritual plan for their life,” he said. “And it is something all of us struggle with. A lot of people don’t see it as something that is paramount to your living.”
One valuable lesson he has learned is the importance of trusting God for guidance. Just as a ship follows the direction of the wind, Chelanga said his goal is to follow God in whatever he is called to do.
“It doesn’t matter if you work at McDonald’s, a bank, or the military, it’s a full-time gig (to be) faithful and living the best life that God gave you,” he said.
He appreciates the opportunity to serve his country and said just as the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule say, people should dedicate themselves to helping others regardless of their career path. He said Liberty students, of which he was one himself just over a decade ago, should focus on fulfilling the purpose that God has for them.
“I believe that every kid that goes to Liberty can do great if they have good reasons why they want to change the world for good.”
