Want to know more about Haile Gebrselassie?

Haile! Haile! Haile!....all were cheering the greatest long distance runner of all time the world has ever seen. It was a 10000 meter’s last round in Sydney Olympic and Kenyan Paul Tergat was dashing for the gold. Haile was some meters away but was running as fast as his legs could carry him. Everyone watching him live or on TV never expected he will catch up with Tergat, let alone win, but he won. The greatest neck to neck fight for the gold and title I have ever seen. Haile Gebrselassie is the pride of all Ethiopians. Since the time he began to appear on the running tracks in 1992 he has done so much that many think he has some super-human in him.

Gebrselassie, mostly called and known by his first name "Haile", is a very famous Ethiopian long distance runner. He has achieved so many titles and records that I would rather refer you to Wikipedia for detailed listings. I am more fascinated with one of his remarkable background, rather childhood. As a child he used to run to his school each day, 10km, running same distance while returning home. I will cote Wikipedia’s report on this. It goes like this:-

"As a child growing up on a farm he used to run ten kilometers to school every morning, and the same back every evening. This led to a distinctive running posture, with his left arm crooked as if still holding his schoolbooks"

Many in the developed world may not understand why he would run 10km while he can catch the school bus. Well, sad to say, there are people in some parts of the world that never had any kind of civilization. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Infrastructure like roads are so scarce that some rural areas don’t have any kind of motor vehicle transport. Of course, the capital is a metropolitan city with all the modernity of the civilized world. Haile Gebrselassie grew up in one of many rural parts of the country.

I personally have gone to a rural area, with some relatives, when I was a child. First we traveled by bus for 6hrs, then on a horse back for 7 hours. I have tasted how the rural farming people face day to day life. Early in the morning the boys have to take the cattle to pastures, bare foot, usually without breakfast. The girls have to go to the streams or wells to bring water for the house hold and an endless work in the house follows. One couldn’t imagine what life would look like without all the goods and stuff the modern world has. In the rural part I went to there is no road, no school, no electricity, no tap water, no toilet, no clinic, no cars no TV, no phone….you just imagine life without all these. I don’t mean that the place Haile Gebrselassie grew up is the same like this, I haven’t been there so I can’t tell all the details but could guess that it surely identifies with some of the stuff I mentioned above.

What I want to emphasize here is that training our body early in life is one of the rewarding endeavors we can pursue. Some years ago I wanted to shade off some fat and started to run the track with few co-workers. In the early days of the workout I thought I would just sprint one lap of a foot ball field without difficulty, but though I tried my best I couldn’t finish a lap without stopping in the middle and taking some gasps of air. I improved though through time, and I reached to a point that I could run in an even pace 4-5 laps. I trained my body.

Haile Gebrselassie has stunned the world by breaking records even in his mid 30s. That is why i asked if he has some super-human thing in him. He is one of the famous Ethiopians loved and revered by all. Haile Gebrselassie did time and again prove that he is unbeatable. Haile is unforgettable in the minds of his fans and all Ethiopians who addore him.