Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie joins Farm Africa as ambassador
18 March 2013
Ethiopian running legend and Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie is to work as an ambassador for Farm Africa, reflecting his desire to support rural communities in Ethiopia.
39 year old Haile is one of the greatest long-distance runners of all time, being one of only three runners to have won successive gold medals at the Olympic Games in the 10,000 meters (Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000).
Best long-distance runner
In addition, he has four World Athletics Championship titles in the event, while in 1995 he astonished the running world by breaking the world record in both the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters within just weeks of each race.
He also went on later in his career to break the world record in the marathon twice.
“It gives me great pleasure to help my people”
Haile is now looking forward eagerly to his new role with Farm Africa, a charity working to end Africa’s need for external food aid.
“Most of the poorest people in my country Ethiopia live in rural areas. Farm Africa is making a real difference to the lives of farmers, pastoralists and people who rely on forests. It gives me great pleasure to help my people in this way” said Haile.
Farm Africa is boosting farmers’ harvests and supporting their quest to produce more food, by introduces smallholder farmers to new techniques, tools and skills. This bottom up farm aid, not food aid approach is helping Africa’s farmers to feed Africa’s people - not just this harvest, but long into the future.
Great Ethiopian Run
One of Haile’s first tasks will be to play a leading part in this year’s 25th anniversary celebrations of Farm Africa's groundbreaking work in Ethiopia.
Included among the celebrations will be a high-profile event in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, culminating with the Olympian presiding as the master of ceremonies at the Great Ethiopian Run in November. A team of Farm Africa fundraisers will be running in the race.
Farm Africa's Ethiopia country director, Michelle Winthrop, said: “Haile is recognized and admired throughout the world not only for his extraordinary achievements on the track, but also as a man of great decency and integrity.
“His desire to support rural communities in Ethiopia and across eastern Africa in their work to end hunger is palpable. We are thrilled, and deeply honored, that he has chosen to endorse our work in such a personal way.”
More about our work in Ethiopia
