13/10/2026
๐ BLUERIBBONER OF THE WEEK: GLADYS ATAMBO
Some call her Gladys. Others Atambo, Gee or Mokeira. Lately, however, everyone seems to have settled on HR. Your friendly neighbourhood HR, apparently.
An HR professional by day and an athlaholic by weekend, Gladys wears plenty of other hats: mum, sister, prayer warrior, daughter, aunt, nemesisโฆyou get the point. Add certified workplace counsellor, certified professional mediator, coffeeholic and, of course, certified BlueRibboner to that collection.
Her motivation to move? โI wish I could say, father run, mother run, I run.โ But for Gladys, itโs the post-run vibes and the electrolytes za kuambia mwili pole na asante. Those are what get her through the horror of the first few kilometres, when the legs are protesting and the meaning of life is under serious review.
Then comes the clearer head - once sheโs stopped fighting for her life, naturally. As for her age? โWhoโs counting? Age doesnโt matter unless youโre a cheese.โ
Gladys describes Blue Ribbon events as the gold standard: โHands down, kalamba down!โ The camaraderie, laughter, AWESOME merch, na mlo have brought pizzazz and razzmatazz to her weekends. In her own words: โIt has added life to my life.โ ๐
FROM OUR DESK ๐ฟGladys is one of the highlights of our events. She and her group leave when everyone else has left. Entry fee maximised, vibes exhausted, venue almost handed back to the owners. ๐
Sheโs also the only person who can confidently approach the RD for an extra slot with:
โNakisogelea kwa taadhima kuu meza ya heshima ya Mkurugenzi wa Mbio, ndugu yangu wa dhati na mlezi wangu. Kwa moyo uliojawa majuto, roho iliyotawaliwa na unyenyekevu, na ulimi uliolainishwa kwa stahaโฆkukuarifu kwamba nilikosa nafasi ya kushiriki katika Mbio za Nyarington.โ
All that ceremony just to say: โRD, ongeza slot moja.โ ๐คฃ Needless to say, RD dies. Every time.
๐ธ Flowers for you, Gladys - for showing up, staying on, bringing the laughter and making this community richer with your presence. You say Blue Ribbon has added life to your life. We can confidently say youโve added life to ours. ๐
