State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

OREGON SNAPSHOTIN ASTORIA, KEMBOI CHESIMETGETS MOST OF HIS SUPPORTOVER THE PHONERunning took Kemboi Chesimet fromKenya to the United States, then acrossEurope, and now to, of all places, Astoria.“Running has kept me alive for manyyears,” he says. “Running is what keeps me inAstoria. Otherwise I think I would’ve left.”The son of a pastor and a nurse, Kemboi wasborn in a western Kenyan city known for havingsome of the best marathon runners in the world.He grew up running, developed his skills andearned an athletic scholarship to the University ofLouisiana at Lafayette.In 1991, he began the next phase of his life, inthe United States. All he brought on his journeywas a small bag and underwear. Kemboi’s olderbrother, who was already here, met him at theairport in Chicago. From there, he made his wayto Louisiana, where his sole support system wasthe student athlete program.vegetables to being addicted to Popeyes. It wasa shock to my system.”But he found success, achieving record times inthe Half Mile and going pro for five years aftergraduation. During his time as a professional runner,Kemboi traveled throughout Europe and earned anumber of sponsorships, including a high-profilecommercial with Coca-Cola. Being in Europe madeit easier for him to visit his family in Kenya.In 1999, he ended his professional career to focuson his family—a daughter from his first marriagewho ran track at Astoria High School and OregonState University, and two younger children whonow live in Portland with his second ex-wife.As someone who grew up in a small city, Kemboicould never get used to Portland. He foundsupport in a church, but outside of this nucleus,he felt “lost in the numbers.”88While the program helped him transition intouniversity sports and academics, Kemboi reliedon the solid foundations of his early life to copewith the culture shock. It wasn’t always easy. “Youhave to be proactive or else things will pass youby,” he says. “Culturally, I don’t think I was trulyequipped. There were always those shocks.”The shocks included driving, American attitudes,the fast-paced nature of life—and even food.“I went from eating simple cornmeal andAlthough much smaller, Astoria has its ownproblems, he says—first and foremost, practicingthe liberal values it preaches. “They’re veryintellectual when it comes to diversity. They givelip-service to the cause, but in practice, theydon’t really know what it is. Paranoia permeatesthe town, regardless of political affiliation. I don’tthink it’s a liberal view or a conservative one. Ithink fear goes deeper than those two camps. It’sa human view.”