Mary Moraa Lifts Lid on Illness that Nearly Forced Her into Retirement

Olympic 800m bronze medalist Mary Moraa has lifted the lid on an illness that almost forced her out of the sport.

Moraa surprisingly finished seventh in the women's 800m final at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, a culmination of a season of struggle for an athlete who had been so dominant in her race previously.

The 25-year-old had appeared poised for another podium finish. She took control of the final early, dictating the pace for much of the race before fading dramatically in the home stretch.

She finished with a season's best of 1:57.10, while her compatriot Lilian Odira surged to a stunning gold in a championship record time of 1:54.62.

However, unbeknown to many, Moraa was battling a severe health issue. The 2023 World Champion has now revealed that she experienced sudden dizziness and extreme weakness during the championships, which required immediate medical care after the final.

"It's by the grace of God that I am competing again," Moraa disclosed as quoted by Capital Sports. "I almost threw in the towel a while ago owing to a medical condition, but I am glad that it has been fully addressed. I experienced general weakness and dizziness at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo."

There were few signs of trouble in the preliminary rounds. Moraa had comfortably won her heat in 1:58.44 and followed it up by dominating her semi-final in 1:58.40, looking every bit the favourite for a global medal.

However, the final was a different story. "I thought all was well after going through to the finals at the worlds, but the situation worsened at the tail end of the final, leading to urgent medical attention," she explained. "I stayed behind for treatment as Team Kenya left Tokyo for Nairobi."

The illness led to months of recovery, uncertainty, and emotional turmoil, during which she considered ending her career. After a series of medical tests and treatment programmes, doctors finally gave her the all-clear to resume training just a few weeks ago.

"I want to thank a combined team of doctors from Team Kenya, Tokyo, Aga Khan, Nairobi, and Kenyatta National Hospitals for the good care, advice, and assistance," she added.

Moraa officially marked her return to the track on Wednesday, May 27, at the National Police Service Championships at the Ulinzi Sports Complex. Competing in the 400m instead of her signature event, she still showed her class, finishing second with a time of 53.68 seconds.

The Commonwealth Games champion is now setting her sights on select Diamond League races later this season as she builds towards full fitness. Her long-term goal is the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.