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West Pokot County stunned rivals by finishing 2nd overall at the 2025 National Youth Games in Kakamega—winning 9 golds in freestyle wrestling and steeplechase. Their success came from the *Hills to Podium* program, using altitude training and community scouts. Standout: 16-year-old Chepngetich Kiplagat, who ran 5:48.2 in the 2000m steeplechase. We train where the air is thin and dreams are thick, she said. The county built Kenya’s first high-altitude wrestling mat in Kapenguria. Governor Simon Kachapin pledged KSh 60 million for a youth sports complex. ASAL counties now demand equitable funding in the Sports Act review.