AHMED MOHAMMED
He has once again become a spotlight after his latest race in Valencia, Italy ---where he set a new masters world record of 2:04:19, at 41. He after all has broken several records and well enjoyed the taste of victory-the beauty of being a champion to his home Ethiopia. He teamed up with his role models, as he says, and turned us all into euphoria some twenty years ago.
Many call him lionheart, others cheetah, and he is equivalent to a fired- bullet to some other fans. ‘When you compete with Kennesia, you know who would take the gold’ Kenyan athlete once said. ’You surrender, you can’t help’.
Kennenisa Bekele broke records of multiple categories of races, mostly five thousand and ten thousand meters, and of course triumphed the marathon making him one of the fastest men on earth with over 17 records.
He made it----collected 26 gold medals, skyrocketed his name into fame never to be lowered down. And it was after years of absence from his career that he once again made a foot in Velencia, where he broke a record of the over 40-year-old elite athletes. And because of his big comeback to the track, Kennenisa once again earned huge praise from his fans.
The lionheart of the athletics world was born in Bokoji of Arsi, the origin of many other famous athletes--- Derartu Tulu, Fatuma Roba, Tiki Gelana, Mestawet Tufa, Tariku Bekele (Kennenisa’s brother) and the Dibaba sisters Ejegayehu, Tirunesh and Genzebe.
It was here that his calling was noticed by one of his teachers. His sporting teacher sensed his latent gift and prompted the teenager to hunt something ---somewhere----which is athletics.
Now decades later, the then teenager recalls his schoolteacher. He shot into prominence right after he outsmarted in cross-country of the youth where he collected a gold medal. Shortly before his triumph faded away, he headed to the Netherlands where he spelt his name in bold, this time with 15KM road race.
He kept demonstrating overwhelmingly outstanding performances all along his career---graced Paris, London-Beijing and several other races of the heroes---- and nobody was fit enough to beat him unless in races in which he took part returning from long-time injury. He controlled the tracks of all sorts; enough raised his flag high up.
Sadly, frequent pains finally made him quit the track until his recent big come back in Valencia—where he once more portrayed his lionheartedness- a never ceasing stamina and endurance.