When this Kenyan marathoner was seven years old, she had to run 10 kilometres in bare feet to get to school every morning. Her father thought she should stick to field work and looking after her 24 siblings, but Loroupe persevered with her dream of becoming a long-distance runner. In 1994, she became the first African woman to win the New York Marathon. From there, she won several major marathons in Rotterdam, Berlin, London and Rome, breaking numerous world records along the way. Loroupe is a passionate peace activist and her Peace Foundation created the 10 km Peace Race in 2006. This event brings together over 2,000 warriors from different tribes in an effort to promote harmony and goodwill. She has been named a United National Ambassador of Sport and has been widely recognized for her humanitarian work.