Q&A With Solomon Kandie
Sep 3, 2001 | Cross Country
Sept. 3, 2001
Solomon Kandie is a junior from Nairobi, Kenya. A star on the Tulane track and cross country teams, Kandie was the top individual finisher at the Conference USA Cross Country Championships in the fall. He also earned all-region honors and qualified for the NCAA Championships.
What is your most memorable experience with the Tulane track team?
My first meet here at Tulane. It was challenging. I just missed qualifying for the nationals. I just missed at the finish line. And the same thing happened in indoor track.
What has Tulane track helped you do?
The Tulane track team has helped me to improve my running capabilities. With the training facilities, the coaches and the administration, I have improved my running ability. Back home, I did not have the good training that we have here. The challenges that I have had here at Tulane have helped me to improve psychologically also.
What is your major?
Computer Information Systems
Do you have any plans after you graduate?
When I came here, I came both to study and to run. I will need to continue to pursue my studies. I need to accomplish what I came here for. I think I am improving [running] right now and I feel I can do better. By the time I graduate, maybe I will have improved enough to run as a professional athlete. I would like to get a good job, but at the same time, still be running.
What is your favorite book?
"Painful Suffering." This book talks of a young man who is determined to overcome hardship in life, and he keeps on pushing, pushing. The main idea of the book is that despite all the hardships, if you have the faith, then you are going to fulfill all of your dreams. There is nothing that is going to stop you.
What on-campus activities do you enjoy most?
Mostly I like meeting friends, studying with my friends and working with them on projects. Also shooting pool and going to theatres.
If you could play any other sport at Tulane, what would it be?
Soccer and golf.
What is your personal philosophy?
I trust what I do. Before I do something, I have to think, "Is it going to help me? Is it going to harm me?" I try to think positive about everything I do.
What has being a Tulane athlete taught you that you wouldn't otherwise have learned?
To be an athlete here means a lot. If I was not an athlete, I would not have the privilege of going out and meeting other people [at other schools], learning how other people train, the kind of challenges that they face in other places.
What person has had the most influence on your athletic career?
All of my coaches at Tulane.
What is the best advice you have been given?
One of my coaches told me, "Solomon, if you need to run, you have to be prepared psychologically. You have to focus."
What class would you recommend to other students?
An international law class with Professor Foreman, I liked the class because it was very complicated at the beginning. The professor has become a good friend of mine.
What's your favorite movie?
"Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy. It talks of freedom. I left my family to come here to Tulane. I have to learn to do the right things, my parents can't say, "Solomon, don't do this, or do this." Here, you have to think on your own. Eddie Murphy in Coming to America is doing things without his parents' influence, he is going as per one's conscience in a free society.
What actor would you pick to play you in a movie?
Eddie Murphy
What is your favorite food?
The powerful Kenyan Ugali (cornmeal mixed with water) and rice.
What is your dream vacation destination?
I would like to pay a visit to all of the continents.
If you could have dinner with any three people in history, who would it be?
Friends, my professors, my family, and President Clinton.
Would you like to thank anybody?
I would most like to thank the Tulane administration. Without their help, I could not be where I am right now. They are the ones who are always there for us. Also the members of the Green Wave, members of CISS, and Mr. And Mrs. Floyd Lewis. Mr. Lewis is a friend of mine who is always interested in seeing me excel in academics and sports.
What is your most memorable animal?
I liked the rabbits back home. I like wildlife a lot.
What do you think is the most important community service activity you have done?
We have a youth organization in Kenya that has "Cleaning Days." I have participated in quite a number of them. It is a health-related activity where we clean in our city.
What have you learned since being at Tulane?
I think I have learned a lot from Tulane. With my running, I have learned to "Think Big." I have been challenged to train hard. In terms of academics, I was lucky to be able to come to Tulane. I have learned to balance running and studying at the same time, which is really hard. Sometimes when I am training, especially for cross country, I am just tired. I recognize that after school there will be other challenges from the outside world. Problems never end in life, but man is born to learn how to minimize them.
Players Mentioned
