Joyce Kimeli comes from a running family. Mother, father and brother have all been accomplished athletes. The All American runner for Auburn Cross Country, plus Track and Field became a national champion this month. After winning the 3K and 5K at the SEC Indoor Championships, she won the 5K at the NCAA Indoor Championship. Kimeli followed that with a bronze in the 3K. All of this after she had an abbreviated training period in January and February. Joyce's father passed away in December. She went home to Kenya to be with family. Kimeli went a month without running. When she returned to U-S, she had to quarantine. Her long distance coach, David Barnett, lost his father to COVID during the Cross Country season.
Barnett didn't want to rush Kimeli back after a month of non-training, which makes her success at the SEC and NCAA levels all the more remarkable. Joyce Kimeli and David Barnett are featured in this Talking Tigers Podcast, presented by Wickles Pickles
