Considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest distance runner ever, Haile Gebrselassie is that rare athlete who has transcended his sport. Though small in stature at 5’3” tall, Haile’s prodigious talent has produced two Olympic and nine world championship gold medals as well as an astonishing 26 (and counting) world records. But the combination of Haile’s talent, charm and beaming smile, has endowed him with a larger-than-life aura, which he has used to better the lives of all Ethiopians.
As a child growing up on a farm in Ethiopia, Haile used to run ten kilometers back and forth to school every morning. This led to a distinctive running posture, his left arm crooked as if still holding his schoolbooks. After his thrilling 1996 Olympic 10,000 meter win against long-time rival Paul Tergat of Kenya, Disney Films was so moved that it made a movie of Haile’s life called “Endurance” which traced his path toward Olympic glory.
Today, Haile continues his remarkable athletic career. He broke the world half-marathon record in Scottsdale, Arizona in January 2006 and the marathon record for the second time in Berlin, Germany in September 2008. From his top floor office in the Alem Building in Addis Ababa, which he built with his track earnings and named after his wife, Haile has extended his influence into business and social arenas back home. In 2001, he helped create The Great Ethiopian Run, the largest mass-participation road race in the country. He has also lent his name and donated often to United Nations causes. There are many who believe that a future in politics awaits this charismatic man fondly nicknamed “The Emperor.”