News
18 March 2013
Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie joins Farm Africa as ambassador
Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian running legend and Olympic champion, is to work as an ambassador for Farm Africa, reflecting his desire to support rural communities in Ethiopia.
Haile, 39, is one of the best long-distance runners of all time. He is one of only three runners to have won successive gold medals at the Olympic Games in the 10,000 metres (Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000).
Best long-distance runner
He also has four World Championship titles in the event and in 1995 astonished the running world when he broke the world record in both the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres within just weeks of each race.
Later in his career he went on to break the world record in the marathon twice.
“It gives me great pleasure to help my people”
He is now eagerly looking forward to his new role at Farm Africa, a charity which works to end Africa’s need for external food aid.
Haile said: “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.”
Farm Africa introduces smallholder farmers to new techniques, tools and skills that are boosting farmers’ harvests and supporting their quest to produce more food. 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 our groundbreaking work in Ethiopia.
The celebrations will include a high-profile event in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and will culminate 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.
Our Ethiopia country director, Michelle Winthrop, said: “Haile is recognised 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 honoured, that he has chosen to endorse our work in such a personal way.”
More about our work in Ethiopia
