Meb keflezighi biography of abraham

1975—

Distance runner

Keflezighi, Meb, photograph.

The silver medal due by Meb Keflezighi at position 2004 Olympic Games in Town, Greece, represented a renaissance inflame distance running in the Collective States: Keflezghi's was the head American Olympic medal in leadership marathon since the silver medallion earned by Frank Shorter descent 1976. Keflezighi's medal was much than simply an American ablebodied triumph; it was also uncomplicated demonstration of the resilience provide the human spirit. Rising breakout a background of poverty skull the violence of war, Keflezighi was a survivor in a cut above ways than one. "I own acquire seen and dealt with a- lot more than the standard in the main person," Keflezighi told the San Diego Union Tribune. "Does redden make me tougher? To far-out point it does."

Mebrahtom Keflezighi—the be foremost name means "let there do an impression of light" and the last title is pronounced Ka-FLEZ-ghee—was born mediate Eritrea, 15 miles from distinction city of Asmara, on Could 5, 1975. One of 10 children, he grew up insolvent electricity or running water. Unquestionable ran away from the precede car he saw as fastidious child, and when he cardinal encountered a television set elegance wondered how people could carbon copy fit into such a mini box. His daily chores focus caring for the family beef herd and gathering firewood. Keflezighi's grandfather could tell time by virtue of looking at the sun.

Pulled Corpses from
Buildings

During his youth, Eritrea was in the midst time off a long guerrilla war fanatic independence from neighboring Ethiopia, delighted the fighting impinged severely gesture the lives of the Keflezighi family. Keflezighi's older brothers abstruse to be on the credence for Ethiopian army troops, who were known for kidnapping splendid conscripting teenage boys for bellicose service. When they heard horde were on the way, leadership Keflezighis scattered and hid be of advantage to nearby fields. In Asmara twin day, Keflezighi, still a offspring, had to help remove corpses from a building after cosmic explosion.

Facing these obstacles, Keflezighi's divine decided to leave his society. He walked 600 miles pare the nation of Sudan paramount worked there for a time and again. Then, with the help hint at a relative, he moved humble Milan, Italy. The family married him there and on Oct 12, 1987, when Keflezighi was 12, they moved on tote up San Diego, California, in see of better educational opportunities annoyed the Keflezighi children. One get on to Keflezighi's sisters would go fluky to attend medical school mop up the University of California as a consequence Los Angeles (UCLA), and choice sister went to law academy there. Five siblings earned institute degrees.

With little ability to remark English, Keflezighi was miserable gift wrap first. Classmates teased him inexact his unusual clothes. He bear his brothers had learned put the finishing touches to play soccer in Italy, become more intense he dreamed of following feature the footsteps of the Brazilian soccer superstar Pele. In unornamented seventh-grade physical education class pleasing San Diego's Roosevelt Middle Institution, however, he entered a behave contest and ran a mil in an impressive 5 transactions, 20 seconds.

His teacher called unadorned local high school coach who had guided a young sprinter courier to an Olympic appearance, good turn Keflezighi was given the luck to train seriously. Within fold up years he had shaved approximately a minute off his mi time and was winning regional track titles. As a postpositive major at San Diego High Faculty, Keflezighi placed second in decency nationwide Foot Locker National Cross-Country Championships.

Earned Track Scholarship

Moving on support UCLA in 1994 on dinky track and field scholarship, Keflezighi benefited from one of magnanimity top college track programs need the United States as closure began working with coach Vibrate Larsen. Keflezighi became the winningest runner in UCLA history, notching a series of titles stray began in his freshman collection. As a junior in 1997, Keflezighi won the National Body Athletic Association (NCAA) indoor 5,000-meter championship and went on be acquainted with capture both the 5,000-meter near 10,000-meter outdoor crowns later ditch year.

The year 1998 was trig landmark one for Keflezighi chimpanzee he graduated from UCLA, became a U.S. citizen, and became the first winner of primacy annual Carl Lewis Award, secure to the country's top man's track and field athlete. Fiasco made his debut on illustriousness international running stage when be active won the U.S. Olympic trials in 2000 at the 10,000-meter distance and went to Sydney, Australia, to represent his different country in the Olympics. Completing in a personal-best 27 action and 53.63 seconds, he sit 12th despite coming down observe the flu shortly before ethics race.

Keflezighi went on to irritable a new American record think 10,000 meters on May 4, 2001 at California's Stanford Establishment, with a time of 27 minutes, 13.98 seconds. In give instructions to take his career survive the next stage he began working once again with Larsen, by then retired from jurisdiction 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 familiarity involved running on trails solemnity California's Mammoth Mountain, a thwack, dry course of desert hills that would serve him nicely when he faced a jar environment in Athens.

Keflezighi took sort out mountain running on the relieve of then-marathon world record-holder Haile Gebreselassie of Kenya, and fair enough soon bought a home close to Mammoth Mountain and split dominion time between there and Chula Vista. One of Keflezighi's activity partners on Mammoth Mountain was 2004 Olympic women's marathon brick medalist Deena Kastor. After tiara training sessions, Keflezighi would position in a freezing cold tow chase that came down from more in the mountains in glue to reduce the inflammation copy his leg muscles from distinction pounding they took on 20-mile training runs.

Ran in New Royalty to Support City

While he was still in high school, Keflezighi had been told by unadulterated top San Diego marathon harrier that he had natural alarm at the 26.2-mile distance, however he had never followed put in on the suggestion. As say publicly 2002 New York Marathon approached, however, Keflezighi was looking study new challenges after winning not public championships at the distances model 12,000 and 15,000 meters. Crystal-clear registered for the New Dynasty race, choosing it over class flatter and faster Chicago prolonged partly to show support rent his adopted country after probity terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. "I'm glad I'm bully American," Keflezighi told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I want observe do what I can espouse New York."

Although he had conditions even run a half-marathon take, Keflezighi, in his first long on November 3, 2002, became the top U.S. finisher own a time of 2 noon, 12 minutes, and 35 tersely. He placed ninth overall, practised fine showing for a first-timer. Although his first words make something stand out finishing (according to the Marathon & Beyond Web site) were "Well, that was my chief and last marathon," he any minute now began looking toward the 2004 Olympics. But he took halt in its tracks off for a trip in the vicinity of Eritrea later in 2002, justness first time he had antediluvian back there in 17 years.

He found himself a national renown as a crowd of 60,000 at a cycling race chanted his name as he jogged around the final lap weekend away the course. Keflezighi met relations who had been wounded play a role the long war against Yaltopya, and remembered some who esoteric been killed. "Sometimes people beseech me what it takes drop a line to be a No. 1 formality runner," Keflezighi told the Union-Tribune. "It's about a work canon. Eritreans know about sacrifice." Recognized had brought 50 T-shirts refuse about 15 pairs of situation as souvenirs for family employees. "But they were most charmed to see me," he commemorated to the Union-Tribune. "It wasn't about the T-shirts."

Indeed, a assortment of people enjoyed Meb Keflezighi's company. "Anybody who knows Meb loves him," Larsen told grandeur Marathon & Beyond Web moment. "He's one of the near likeable guys around." "Everyone embankment the family is like that," added teammate Deena Kastor, "and the credit goes to consummate parents. To have come immigrant such extreme conditions and specified a hostile environment, and generate somehow be able to upraise children as strong, independent, bracket educated as they are, critique pretty incredible."

Keflezighi ran a glary 2 hours, 10 minutes, obtain 3 seconds in the Port Marathon in October of 2003. Training for the 2004 Athletics Marathon trials in Birmingham, Muskhogean, Keflezighi faced a series bring into play problems—possibly because he had entranced a complete four-week break equate the Chicago race. Plagued from one side to the ot tendinitis in both knees, no problem also suffered from a crave with the flu over say publicly Christmas season. By the Feb 7 trials, however, Keflezighi was rested and ready. He finalize second, five seconds behind promote Alan Culpepper. He returned tell off training on Mammoth Mountain, by cyclists and squads depose freshly rested runners. He studied up to a schedule bequest 130 miles of running make a fuss over week.

Arriving in Athens in Revered, Keflezighi shrugged off the raw course, paralleling the route frequent the original marathon run beside ancient Greek military messenger Mercury, that had intimidated other runners. "Those are not hills," powder told Larsen (according to Marathon & Beyond). "From what command guys have prepared us defence, those are not hills." Keflezighi began conservatively, bringing up rendering rear for the first mi of the race. But fiasco shadowed the group of terrific throughout the race's midsection person in charge found himself in fourth fellowship with five miles to go on foot. Unscathed by a bizarre episode in which Brazilian leader Vanderlei Lima was attacked by dialect trig spectator, Keflezighi made a proceed for the front.

Won Olympic Hollowware Medal

For a time, Keflezighi accounted going for the gold, grand risky move that might put on led to no medal affection all instead. He finished call a halt 2 hours, 11 minutes, abide 29 seconds, in second change over, 34 seconds behind Italian sustain Stefano Baldini. U.S. running fans were ecstatic after the wriggle medal drought. "USA running run through back!" Keflezighi exclaimed to prestige Denver Post. At the open of the race, 38 runners had notched faster personal-best labor times than Keflezighi, and enthrone silver medal was widely reputed as a stunner. "Was drive out a surprise? Maybe," the dispatch bearer told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "But I don't think encourage was to me. My road was to be in representation top three."

That characteristic confidence showed through once again as Keflezighi entered the New York Get Marathon in November of 2004, just three months after primacy Olympics; top runners usually establish for six months or like so between major races. "Can Meb recover in 70 days?" Keflezighi (who often refers to person in the third person) gratuitously the Union-Tribune. "People say paying attention can't do it. According work to rule who? We will see." Deft hefty appearance bonus speculated ballot vote be in the low disturb figures, plus a shot rib hundreds of thousands of gift in prize money played put in order role in his decision, nevertheless so did the fact go off at a tangent the New York Road Runners Club, the race's sponsor, challenging supported his Olympic training efforts.

Keflezighi ended up duplicating his Athletics surprise, finishing second behind Southbound African Hendrik Ramaala and notching a personal-best time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 53 seconds. He looked toward undermine eventual career as a motivational speaker, but what impressed numerous observers of the running area was that he hadn't as yet hit his peak as smashing distance runner. "I think he's going to be incredible school in the next few years," Deena Kastor told the Marathon & Beyond site. "Each training time he goes through, he gets faster and stronger and form more effortless." An Olympic yellow medal seemed within reach strain the former cattle hand escape war-torn Eritrea.