Had you told Cheptoek Boyo that she would disapprove of the skinny body that earned her admiration during her modelling days, she would have laughed in your face.
With her body size earning her a good income stream and putting her name in the global fashion industry, what reason would she have to think lowly of herself?
“High-fashion modelling was my thing, things like Fashion IP, Casino Malindi fashion shows, Nairobi Fashion Week, and such,” chuckles the former contestant at the Miss Kenya 2009.
However, as is the case with most first-time mothers, her worldview changed when she welcomed her daughter in 2012. The body type she so much adored, she now perceived as a “health hazard”.
“I used to think it was the ideal body type that every lady needed to strive for. Right now, my ideal body is an athletic one, not too bulky, not too skinny,” says the 36-year-old.
To sculpt her body into her ideal type, she first took the most favoured route by fitness enthusiasts: gym workouts. With time, however, she came to detest the monotony, grew restless, and quit.
In the last few months, she has switched to mountain climbing, which promises to deliver her ideal body and a good dose of adventure.
Cheptoek Boyo on the first day of her Mt Kenya trek on March 29, 2024.
Photo credit: Pool
“Right now, I would say my body is ‘medium-athletic’. I am neither big nor skinny. For context, I am size 10 UK. I was a size 6 or 8 when I used to model; just too skinny to tell. Being a model, you aren’t supposed to eat as much or as you should, which isn’t good because your body relies on food to function better. I had a waist of 26 (inches) and hips of 36. With my medium athletic body now, the waist is 30, and my hips are between 40 and 42,” Ms Boyo explains.
Up until she stopped breastfeeding, the founder of Buzz Central, an online entertainment magazine, still spotted the modelling frame.
“When I was breastfeeding, I used to weigh 60 kilogrammes, but when I weaned off my girl, I drastically put on some weight, tilting the scale at 72 kilos. I began gassing out even after a short distance or whenever I climbed the stairs to my apartment. This situation had me worried,” she says.
It was then that she started hitting the gym, albeit on and off. The little effort, however, paid off, improving her fitness level to some degree. The heavy pounding of her heart while taking the stairs declined. She felt a bit better.
Dropping the ball
Ms Boyo then dropped the ball during the Covid-19 pandemic when the country went into lockdown and movement was restricted.
“I started working out at home, but I lost focus and motivation along the way. Bad eating habits crept in, and before I knew it, I was weighing 89 kilos. The gassing out situation was back; my trousers started getting tighter, and I couldn’t button up some buttons at some point,” she recalls.
Ms Boyo knew what to do. When the government eased the lockdown, she went back to the gym. For two years, she consistently worked out three times a day.
Quitting the gym for nature
Towards the end of 2023, Ms Boyo again lost interest in the gym.
“Working out at the gym became very monotonous. I had been doing a mixture of CrossFit and strength training. It just got to the point that I got tired of doing the same thing week in and week out, and I felt like I needed something different that would be more exciting,” she says.
In December of last year, Ms Boyo decided not to renew her gym membership as she sought an alternative to the gym.
“I decided I would rest the entire of December, and so what I did was I went out of the country for the whole of that month. When I returned, I asked a pal who was into hiking and marathons to put me in a group of hikers because my new fitness goal was to summit Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro,” she says.
The preparation
With no time, Ms Boyo had a team and began preparation to climb Mt Kenya.
“In January of this year, we began training for the challenge set for Easter. The training involved a 15-kilometre weekly walk in Karura Forest. We did that every Saturday, just walking, not running or jogging. During the week, I would walk 7-10 kilometres within the estate. Then, each month, we would take on a hill. We began with Kilimambogo in January, then followed with Sleeping Warriors in February, and lastly, we did Elephant Hill before taking on Mt Kenya. For every hill, the altitude was higher than the previous one; the goal was to help build endurance on altitude and tolerance training ahead of the main challenge,” Ms Boyo explains.
Cheptoek Boyo rests at Shipton on day 2 of her trek of Mt Kenya on March 30, 2024.
Photo credit: Pool
Hiking Mt Kenya
While hiking on the three hills would take half a day, Ms Boyo spent three days summiting Mt Kenya.
“We began the trek on March 29 from the gate to Old Moses campsite and slept at the Bandas camp to acclimatise. The next day, Saturday the 30th, we hiked to Shiptons Camp, then on Sunday, we trekked to Lenana Peak and descended to Sirmons Campsite,” she explains.
Ms Boyo says staying hydrated during the trip is crucial. The beauty of the mountain is that there are so many water streams with super clean water. “You will also need fibre snacks, like nuts that you throw in your mouth as you go,” she emphasises.
Finding fulfillment
All the excitement Ms Boyo has been searching for in a workout was fulfilled by the Mt Kenya hike.
“You will never appreciate how beautiful Kenya is until you are at the top of Mt Kenya. I have travelled in Africa, and I will always choose Kenya. The nature and its scenery are impeccable, the ambience is thrilling, and the fact that you are unreachable on the phone is thrilling. It is just you bonding and unwinding with nature—that was such an experience,” Ms Boyo says with gusto.
But the excitement comes at a price.
A price to pay
“It’s very expensive because packages range between Sh40,000 and Sh50,000 for the three days. The package includes accommodation at camps, food, transport, and potters fees because they carry your luggage and essentials during the trek,” she says.
Another expense is the hiking gear, including boots, mountain jackets, hiking poles, gloves, and other essentials.
“Mountain climbing gears are equally costly. If I thrifted and spent well over Sh22,000 on gear alone, your guess is as good as mine on how much I would have spent should I have gone for brand new ones,”
Will she be doing it again?
“Why not? At least I have the gear. Now, I am saving for Mt Kilimanjaro. And by the way, I feel I am in better shape than ever. I guess I won’t be getting back to the gym anytime soon,” she says.
