For the second in our #AddingEthiopia series we venture in to what is traditionally a more familiar territory with Ethiopia and the wider world; Athletics and Long Distance running.
Our first female entrant, Tirunesh Dibaba, is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the current outdoor 5000m world record holder and World Champion.
Nicknamed the “Baby Faced Destroyer”, Dibaba has won a total of eight world track titles (three Olympic Gold medals and five World Championship Gold medals) and five world cross country titles.
Born in Bekoji, (known to many as the home of the world’s greatest runners), with five brothers and sisters, two of whom are world class athletes in their own right (Her elder sister, Ejegayehu, won Silver in the 2004 Olympics, younger sister Genzebe holds indoor world records at 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and two miles) and a younger brother, Dejene, marked as a star in the making.
Having started competing at a relatively late age of 14, Diaba’s first international outdoor track event was the 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, saw her finish 5th in the women’s junior race.
It wasn’t long before Dibaba landed on the World stage, winning the 5000m in 2003 and 2005 and the 10000m in 2005, 2007 and 2013. Success in the Olympics followed shortly after, winning bronze in the 5000m in 2004, double gold in the 5000m and 1000m in Beijing and followed that with a gold in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5000m in London 2012 and bronze at the 2016 games in Rio.
Her success on the track has seen her bestowed the rank of Chief Superintendent for services to club and country by the Prisons Police and an honorary doctorate from Addis Ababa University and a hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa in her name.
It’s fair to say she is Adding Ethiopia to the world through athletic excellence.
Adding Ethiopia
Our mission is to Add Ethiopia to the lives of many people with products sourced from and inspired by Ethiopia. We know we aren't the first to do this, there are many Ethiopians that we believe are #AddingEthiopia and it's rich culture and heritage to the wider world, which is something that we want to champion through our #AddingEthiopia Series.