PROFILE ON SHADRACK KIPRUTO, NAIROBI, KENYA
NATIONAL SUPER-WELTER WEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION

"Fight the good fight of the faith ..." (1 Timothy 6:12)

In Daniel chapter 3, Shadrach, together with Meshach and Abednego, emerged unscathed, unsinged and unscratched from a fiery furnace. Shadrach Kipruto, a brother in the Nairobi Christian Church, may never have been into a fiery furnace, but he is all too familiar with the hot and hostile ring of professional boxing. And he is also familiar with the refreshing and rewarding feeling of victory, for he is the reigning Kenya national professional super-welter weight boxing champion.

In 1996 Shadrach traveled from his hometown and base, Eldoret, about 600 kms from Nairobi, to the Kenyan capital to train for a fight that was to take place in Nairobi. A religious young man, he was a member of one of the largest charismatic congregations in Eldoret. While training for his fight, he was invited to church by one of the brothers in the Nairobi Christian Church. He came to church and engaged in regular Bible studies with evangelist John Kilaha and other brothers while continuing to train for his upcoming contest.

Shadrach eventually lost the match, but that was nothing compared to the other major battle in his life, from which he desired to pull out - the fight for a relationship with God. He informed the brothers that since he was unwell he wanted to return to Eldoret to recuperate. On returning to his hometown, however, he soon admitted to himself that he wasn't as unwell as he was making out to be but was only trying to escape the reality of what he had seen in the Bible. He decided to return to Nairobi immediately to continue studying the Bible.

On the 22nd of July 1996, Shadrach experienced the greatest victory of his life, more glorious than any he could ever dream of accomplishing in the ring, as he was baptized into Christ. Zealous about his new purpose in life, he immediately set about helping his friends and family to become disciples. On returning to Eldoret, he took his mother, with whom he'd previously been attending denominational church, to attend the Eldoret Christian Church and to personally introduce her to the leader of women's ministry, Carol Mukenya.

Shortly after that, Shadrach, who had started boxing at club level in 1992 with the Rivatex Sports Club and had turned professional in 1995, decided to move permanently to Nairobi, which he did in September 1996.

Professional boxers in Kenya typically need to engage in other employment as well in order to supplement their earnings in the ring, and so Shadrach needed to find a house, get a job, and he had a fight slated for the month of October. The bout eventually took place in November. Shadrach put all these situations before God.

In a powerful three-day sequence of events in answer to his prayers, Shadrach won his fight on the Saturday, got a house on Sunday, and found a job on Monday. To this day he has not forgotten that powerfully God-guided weekend. It continues to serve him as a potent reminder of God's presence and love in his life.

The following year, 1997, was to bring about greater success in the ring. Not at all fighting "like a man beating the air", he went "into strict training", fought courageously and tenaciously "in such a way as to get the prize", and was crowned by the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission as national super-welterweight champion.

1998 saw a victory that no championship belt or professional recognition could replace or even equal. In Eldoret, 2 years after first meeting the disciples, Shadrach's mother, Ruth was baptized into Christ. As consistent with his discipleship as he is in the ring, Shadrach has been consistently fruitful. His sister-in-law was baptized in 1999, an old friend in 2000, and he has also lead 2 work colleagues to the Lord.

In a bout that saw him knock down his opponent 6 times, Shadrach lost his title in 2000, a decision that shocked all who witnessed the fight. How the fight was scored against Shadrach only the judges could tell.

But it is not for nothing that Shadrach continues to grow spiritually and that he held the super-welter weight crown in the first place. He is a fighter. In a rematch in June 2001 that went the distance, he out-boxed his opponent over 10 rounds in what he said was one of the toughest fights of his career. He had regained his title. Once more, he was national super-welter weight champion.

A gentle and humble brother, Shadrach Kipruto is an inspiration to the entire Nairobi Christian Church congregation as he continually aims higher, not only for sporting success, but, more importantly, "to get a crown that will last forever".