true love story The British Woman Who Left It All for a Masai Warrior – and the Regrets That Followed

 

Back in the mid-1990s, Cheryl Thomasgood from the Isle of Wight made headlines when she left her husband, three children, and quiet suburban life to start over with a Masai warrior in Kenya. What began as a whirlwind romance soon turned into years of regret, cultural clashes, and painful consequences for her family.

Feeling Trapped

At 34, Cheryl was unhappy in her marriage to her second husband, Mike Mason, and bored with her job as a hairdresser. Hoping a holiday might clear her head, she traveled to Kenya with a friend in 1995. There, she met Daniel Lekimencho, a 24-year-old Masai dancer performing for tourists.

Cheryl was instantly captivated. “When I saw him, I knew I couldn’t spend my life without him,” she later said. 

Choosing Love Over Family

Their chemistry was undeniable, and by the end of her trip, Cheryl faced a tough choice: return to her family or follow Daniel. Within weeks, she left Mike and their three kids. Surprisingly, Mike took the news calmly, admitting their marriage was already struggling. He even sold his car to help fund her return trip to Kenya.

Cheryl soon moved into Daniel’s mud hut in rural Kenya, but the extreme heat, cold nights, and lack of comfort made life difficult. She fell ill and eventually went back to England — but not without a plan. By selling her story to newspapers, she earned enough money to bring Daniel to the UK.                                   

Life in England

In 1995, Cheryl and Daniel married on Valentine’s Day in traditional Masai clothing. Authorities suspected Daniel only wanted citizenship, and he was deported soon after. The couple eventually reunited in England and had a daughter, Mitsi, while trying to adapt to life on the Isle of Wight.

But reality was far from the fairytale. Cheryl says Daniel struggled to adjust, became obsessed with money, and constantly wanted more — a bigger house, designer clothes, and cash to send home. The cultural gap was too wide. By 1999, their marriage collapsed. 

The Toll on Family

Cheryl admits the hardest part was the effect on her children. “Having a Masai warrior as a father was not easy for them. Daniel tried, but he could never understand Western ways,” she said. Despite everything, her children — Steve, Tommy, Chloe, and Mitsi — remain close to her today. 

Looking Back

Now 65, Cheryl lives quietly in Somerset and has no plans to marry again after what she calls a “hat-trick of disasters.” She openly regrets leaving her family for Daniel, calling the decision a mistake that caused lasting damage. 

“I thought I was escaping my problems, but I only made new ones,” she reflected.

Meanwhile, Daniel still lives on the Isle of Wight, working in a supermarket — a long way from the proud warrior Cheryl first fell in love with under the Kenyan sun.