KRISS AKABUSI talks to David Waite
It was during a morning run with army athletics officer Ian McKenzie, that Kriss Akabusi's direction in life began to change. The newly recruited sixteen year old army signalman was running shoulder to shoulder with McKenzie when the fit trainer decided to get serious and powered forwards, only to find the youngster running ahead of him! Kriss remembers Ian shouting 'Akabusi, what do you think you're doing? I'm supposed to be the fastest one around here!'
When I caught up with Kriss recently I asked him when he first discovered he was a fast runner. Giving me one of his favourite laughs he said 'When I needed to run away from my mothers hiding!'
Born in Paddington, of Nigerian partents, he spent many years in a children's home when a war stopped his Nigerian parents from returning to London. His nickname 'Kezle', meaning God's gift was swapped to Kriss spelt with the K to keep the same initials.
To be continued..
More from Kriss Akabusi, George Campos, Bernard Langer and others can be found in:
Sportsmen with Faith - Lifestyle, Faith & Fame .