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From: michael seium (michael.seium@gmail.com)
Date: Tue Oct 19 2010 - 22:39:40 EDT
Simon Bairu running alongside Meb in the New york City Marathon. Read a
great article written by Simon on the NY Times blog. Simon is very
articulate and like Meb an NCAA champion born of Eritrean father and an
Ethiopian Mother. He was a member of the EAAA (Eritrean American Athletic
Association)and he is an outstanding person who has great potential. He is
also a Canadian-Eritrean and is Canada's top runner. This also happens to be
his first Marathon.Good luck to Simon and Meb and the rest of the NY city
Marathon participants. Here is Simon's blog...
http://marathon.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/the-long-road-to-new-york/?src=twrhpThe
Long Road to New YorkBy SIMON
BAIRU<http://marathon.blogs.nytimes.com/author/simon-bairu/>
*Simon Bairu, 27, will make his marathon debut in New York on Nov. 7. He won
the 2005 and ‘06 N.C.A.A. cross-country titles at Wisconsin and holds the
Canadian record for 10,000 meters at 27 minutes 23.63 seconds. He ran
1:02:08 in finishing fifth in the Philadelphia half-marathon in September.*
On Nov. 7, I will run my first marathon. At 26.2 miles, it is a journey that
will not only take me through the five historic boroughs of New York but
also to the extreme limits of my mental and physical capacity. My journey to
New York has truly been one of improbable odds. It has been a journey that
has afforded me the opportunity to compete in numerous countries and has led
to many successes, including two N.C.A.A. cross-country titles and the Canadian
10,000 meters record<http://www.runblogrun.com/2010/07/simon-bairu-takes-canadian-10k-title-by-alfonz-juck-note-by-larry-eder.html>.
My
story is the accumulation of all that my parents had sacrificed for me and
my two siblings. My story is unique to my perspective yet common in the
fabric of my city, Regina, Saskatchewan, a community of native Americans,
blue collar workers, and immigrants in Midwestern Canada. In order to
understand my journey and what it is that fuels my desire to compete in one
of the world’s most prestigious events, you must understand the almost
7,000-mile journey from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where I was born to an
Ethiopian mother and Eritrean father, to Regina, Saskatchewan, where my
family finally settled after a brief stay in Athens when I was 4 years old.
My parents gave up dreams, hopes and aspirations all for the hope that my
siblings and I could have a chance at a better life. When our family first
arrived in Canada in 1988, there were times that seemed bleak. Our home was
robbed two weeks after our arrival, yet my mother and father were determined
to succeed for their kids. They were determined to do whatever it would take
to adjust to our new home country, because they knew this was the place
where my siblings and I would have the best opportunity to succeed.
The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, and no phrase
better defines my career thus far. At the age of 14, after getting in a
fight after school, my eighth grade teacher, Steve Wihak, decided the best
punishment was to force me to join the local track club. This wasn’t the
first fight I had instigated and Mr. Wihak could have easily suspended me.
Instead, he saw a potential within me. He believed in me. He didn’t see me
as a troublemaker; he saw me as someone who simply needed direction. He
would often tell me later that, at that time, I was a child with a lot of
energy and I just needed to channel my energy in a positive direction. Mr.
Wihak introduced me to my high school club coach, Dr. Steve Gersten. Dr
Gersten, a native of New York, saw something within me as well: he believed
in me at a time when I didn’t believe in myself. He wouldn’t let me give up
on myself. Dr. Gersten, along with my father, instilled in me an unwavering
confidence that has withstood the ups and downs of my career. He provided me
with the tools I needed to not only become a better athlete but also a
better person. With his guidance I was able to get a full scholarship to the
University of Wisconsin, where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in
sociology in 2007.
Today, as I put in the final three weeks of preparation before the New York
City Marathon, I think about how incredibly fortunate I am to have great
training partners, family and friends who continue to inspire me and humble
me with their unwavering support. Ten years ago I never thought I would be
preparing for the marathon, let alone be sponsored by Nike. My life has
truly been an amazing journey.
This is my story, and on Nov. 7 as I stand on the start line, staring down
the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge with anticipation and adrenaline flowing
through my veins, I will remember that I do not stand alone. I will be
accompanied by all those who have helped me throughout my life prepare for
this moment. hope they can take pride and comfort in knowing that their
work, though often met with reluctance and aggression by my young and
destructive self, was not in vain. I will stand there also thinking about my
heroes, my rock, my parents. For them the opportunity that I have to run the
New York City Marathon is a continuation of their journey, which started as
nothing more than a glimmer of hope so many years ago, 7,000 miles away.
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