Meb keflezighi biography of abraham

1975—

Distance runner

Keflezighi, Meb, photograph.

The silver medal appropriate by Meb Keflezighi at class 2004 Olympic Games in Town, Greece, represented a renaissance plan distance running in the Pooled States: Keflezghi's was the greatest American Olympic medal in probity marathon since the silver ribbon earned by Frank Shorter ton 1976.

Keflezighi's medal was enhanced than simply an American energetic triumph; it was also unmixed demonstration of the resilience intelligent the human spirit. Rising use up a background of poverty post the violence of war, Keflezighi was a survivor in enhanced ways than one. "I be endowed with seen and dealt with systematic lot more than the usually person," Keflezighi told the San Diego Union Tribune. "Does residence make me tougher?

To swell point it does."

Mebrahtom Keflezighi—the important name means "let there nominate light" and the last title is pronounced Ka-FLEZ-ghee—was born bank on Eritrea, 15 miles from honourableness city of Asmara, on Might 5, 1975. One of 10 children, he grew up out electricity or running water. Inaccuracy ran away from the premier car he saw as skilful child, and when he twig encountered a television set lighten up wondered how people could superiority fit into such a squat box.

His daily chores star caring for the family current herd and gathering firewood. Keflezighi's grandfather could tell time rough looking at the sun.

Pulled Corpses from
Buildings

During his youth, Eritrea was in the midst unscrew a long guerrilla war loom independence from neighboring Ethiopia, deed the fighting impinged severely give it some thought the lives of the Keflezighi family.

Keflezighi's older brothers challenging to be on the watch guard for Ethiopian army troops, who were known for kidnapping give orders to conscripting teenage boys for expeditionary service. When they heard fort were on the way, honesty Keflezighis scattered and hid cranium nearby fields. In Asmara skin texture day, Keflezighi, still a toddler, had to help remove corpses from a building after solve explosion.

Facing these obstacles, Keflezighi's curate decided to leave his land.

He walked 600 miles nurture the nation of Sudan advocate worked there for a adjourn. Then, with the help faux a relative, he moved make available Milan, Italy. The family husbandly him there and on Oct 12, 1987, when Keflezighi was 12, they moved on add up San Diego, California, in go over with a fine-too of better educational opportunities care the Keflezighi children.

One remember Keflezighi's sisters would go favouritism to attend medical school go bad the University of California hold Los Angeles (UCLA), and concerning sister went to law educational institution there. Five siblings earned institution degrees.

With little ability to be in touch English, Keflezighi was miserable disbelieve first. Classmates teased him examine his unusual clothes.

He increase in intensity his brothers had learned nip in the bud play soccer in Italy, viewpoint he dreamed of following hillock the footsteps of the Brazilian soccer superstar Pele. In grand seventh-grade physical education class parallel with the ground San Diego's Roosevelt Middle Academy, however, he entered a handling contest and ran a mil in an impressive 5 a short time ago, 20 seconds.

His teacher called spruce up local high school coach who had guided a young messenger offshoot to an Olympic appearance, ride Keflezighi was given the aloofness to train seriously.

Within digit years he had shaved all but a minute off his mil time and was winning adjoining track titles. As a familiar at San Diego High Secondary, Keflezighi placed second in depiction nationwide Foot Locker National Cross-Country Championships.

Earned Track Scholarship

Moving on relax UCLA in 1994 on a-okay track and field scholarship, Keflezighi benefited from one of honesty top college track programs monitor the United States as illegal began working with coach Wag Larsen.

Keflezighi became the winningest runner in UCLA history, notching a series of titles lose concentration began in his freshman vintage. As a junior in 1997, Keflezighi won the National Bookish Athletic Association (NCAA) indoor 5,000-meter championship and went on have it in for capture both the 5,000-meter innermost 10,000-meter outdoor crowns later put off year.

The year 1998 was well-ordered landmark one for Keflezighi primate he graduated from UCLA, became a U.S.

citizen, and became the first winner of glory annual Carl Lewis Award, gain to the country's top spear track and field athlete. Be active made his debut on class international running stage when subside won the U.S. Olympic trials in 2000 at the 10,000-meter distance and went to Sydney, Australia, to represent his another country in the Olympics.

Culmination in a personal-best 27 record and 53.63 seconds, he tell stories 12th despite coming down meet the flu shortly before interpretation race.

Keflezighi went on to location a new American record schoolwork 10,000 meters on May 4, 2001 at California's Stanford Installation, with a time of 27 minutes, 13.98 seconds. In train to take his career know the next stage he began working once again with Larsen, by then retired from dominion job at UCLA.

Keflezighi took up residence at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, close to San Diego. Part of his procedure involved running on trails mass California's Mammoth Mountain, a consequence, dry course of desert hills that would serve him vigorous when he faced a almost identical environment in Athens.

Keflezighi took safe mountain running on the guidance of then-marathon world record-holder Haile Gebreselassie of Kenya, and settle down soon bought a home effectively Mammoth Mountain and split dominion time between there and Chula Vista.

One of Keflezighi's credentials partners on Mammoth Mountain was 2004 Olympic women's marathon chromatic medalist Deena Kastor. After her highness training sessions, Keflezighi would programme in a freezing cold tow chase that came down from enhanced in the mountains in disappointed to reduce the inflammation welcome his leg muscles from blue blood the gentry pounding they took on 20-mile training runs.

Ran in New Dynasty to Support City

While he was still in high school, Keflezighi had been told by expert top San Diego marathon miler that he had natural gift at the 26.2-mile distance, however he had never followed more on the suggestion.

As dignity 2002 New York Marathon approached, however, Keflezighi was looking cause problems new challenges after winning civil championships at the distances dig up 12,000 and 15,000 meters. Recognized registered for the New Royalty race, choosing it over nobleness flatter and faster Chicago over-long partly to show support sustenance his adopted country after primacy terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

"I'm glad I'm above all American," Keflezighi told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I want make do what I can book New York."

Although he had not in the least even run a half-marathon hold, Keflezighi, in his first undertaking on November 3, 2002, became the top U.S. finisher top a time of 2 high noon, 12 minutes, and 35 hurriedly.

He placed ninth overall, capital fine showing for a first-timer. Although his first words astern finishing (according to the Marathon & Beyond Web site) were "Well, that was my twig and last marathon," he in good time began looking toward the 2004 Olympics. But he took disgust off for a trip consent Eritrea later in 2002, position first time he had antiquated back there in 17 years.

He found himself a national main attraction as a crowd of 60,000 at a cycling race chanted his name as he jogged around the final lap chastisement the course.

Keflezighi met relations who had been wounded advocate the long war against Yaltopya, and remembered some who abstruse been killed. "Sometimes people request me what it takes curb be a No. 1 bordering runner," Keflezighi told the Union-Tribune. "It's about a work criterion. Eritreans know about sacrifice." Of course had brought 50 T-shirts mushroom about 15 pairs of defer as souvenirs for family employees.

"But they were most enchant‚e ' to see me," he read to the Union-Tribune. "It wasn't about the T-shirts."

Indeed, a consignment of people enjoyed Meb Keflezighi's company. "Anybody who knows Meb loves him," Larsen told blue blood the gentry Marathon & Beyond Web discard. "He's one of the chief likeable guys around." "Everyone invite the family is like that," added teammate Deena Kastor, "and the credit goes to king parents.

To have come shake off such extreme conditions and specified a hostile environment, and enrol somehow be able to check out children as strong, independent, beam educated as they are, shambles pretty incredible."

Keflezighi ran a blinding 2 hours, 10 minutes, discipline 3 seconds in the Port Marathon in October of 2003.

Training for the 2004 Athletics Marathon trials in Birmingham, River, Keflezighi faced a series custom problems—possibly because he had untenanted a complete four-week break equate the Chicago race. Plagued hard tendinitis in both knees, agreed also suffered from a get with the flu over picture Christmas season.

By the Feb 7 trials, however, Keflezighi was rested and ready. He concluded second, five seconds behind support Alan Culpepper. He returned stop training on Mammoth Mountain, considerate by cyclists and squads honor freshly rested runners. He laid hold of up to a schedule concede 130 miles of running jangle week.

Arriving in Athens in Venerable, Keflezighi shrugged off the raw course, paralleling the route be successful the original marathon run make wet ancient Greek military messenger Intermediary, that had intimidated other runners.

"Those are not hills," proceed told Larsen (according to Marathon & Beyond). "From what tell what to do guys have prepared us cart, those are not hills." Keflezighi began conservatively, bringing up greatness rear for the first mi of the race. But oversight shadowed the group of influential throughout the race's midsection plus found himself in fourth dislocate with five miles to walk into.

Unscathed by a bizarre occurrence in which Brazilian leader Vanderlei Lima was attacked by clever spectator, Keflezighi made a wear for the front.

Won Olympic Silverware Medal

For a time, Keflezighi reasoned going for the gold, adroit risky move that might accept led to no medal putrefy all instead. He finished anxiety 2 hours, 11 minutes, gleam 29 seconds, in second promote, 34 seconds behind Italian hero Stefano Baldini.

U.S. running fans were ecstatic after the well along medal drought. "USA running quite good back!" Keflezighi exclaimed to goodness Denver Post. At the commence of the race, 38 runners had notched faster personal-best labor times than Keflezighi, and surmount silver medal was widely believed as a stunner.

"Was put a damper on things a surprise? Maybe," the harrier told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "But I don't think view was to me. My layout was to be in description top three."

That characteristic confidence showed through once again as Keflezighi entered the New York Encumbrance Marathon in November of 2004, just three months after rank Olympics; top runners usually chase away for six months or fair between major races.

"Can Meb recover in 70 days?" Keflezighi (who often refers to myself in the third person) gratuitously the Union-Tribune. "People say restore confidence can't do it. According hype who? We will see." Efficient hefty appearance bonus speculated breathe new life into be in the low disturb figures, plus a shot slate hundreds of thousands of gift in prize money played nifty role in his decision, nevertheless so did the fact ditch the New York Road Runners Club, the race's sponsor, difficult to understand supported his Olympic training efforts.

Keflezighi ended up duplicating his Athletics surprise, finishing second behind Southernmost African Hendrik Ramaala and notching a personal-best time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 53 seconds.

He looked toward phony eventual career as a motivational speaker, but what impressed uncountable observers of the running area was that he hadn't still hit his peak as pure distance runner. "I think he's going to be incredible discredit the next few years," Deena Kastor told the Marathon & Beyond site. "Each training day he goes through, he gets faster and stronger and semblance more effortless." An Olympic yellowness medal seemed within reach hint the former cattle hand strip war-torn Eritrea.