Derartu Tulu

Derartu Tulu in 2019

Derartu Tulu NL COL (Oromo: Daraartuu Tulluu, Amharic: ደራርቱ ቱሉ; born 21 March 1972) is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner, who competed in track, cross country running, and road running up to the marathon distance.

Quotes

• "It was a hobby my dad I shared - he also loved riding,"
• "It was a beautiful childhood. When I went to school, when I looked after our cattle, I literally used to ride a horse wherever I went."
• "I followed her until 400m was left - and I suddenly sped up and took the lead,"
• "We became friends and she's the woman I admire most."
• "After I won gold in Barcelona, many women runners started thinking that it is possible to win big competitions,"
• "Our results have gone down very much. Our neighbour and main rival Kenya has taken over on every international competition. We have to take lessons from those competitions, we have to look deep into Ethiopian athletics and identify what went wrong and bring our glorious days back."
  • Africa Olympic stories: Derartu Tulu, the first black African woman to win gold,25 July 2020,by Emeline Nsingi-Nkosi-BBC Africa Sport
• “For everything, you had to run,”
• “The market was far away from our village, so we'd run all the way. To get water, you had to run. To pick up wood, you had to run.”
• "The moment created a friendship, an emotional moment, and a significant message to the world.”
• “I’ve watched the video many times down the years, not the race itself, but the 26th lap. It makes me emotional and speechless every time."
  • Derartu Tulu: How Ethiopia’s Olympic champion united a continent and inspired a generation with her running,29 March 2024,By Evelyn Watta
• “I feel very emotional being back, it was a moment that changed my life forever,”
• “It was an extraordinary journey to get to the Olympics in 1992. So just to be able to walk out to the stadium and represent my country was amazing."
• “Looking back, it wasn't the 25 laps of the race that mattered, but it was the 26th which made an impact.”
• “It was a very happy moment for both of us. Even if I can’t speak English, we could feel each other's emotion and I could see Elana smiling,”
• “It should also be remembered that Elana is not only popular in South Africa now, but also in Ethiopia because of Barcelona 1992. It creates a very good vibe of peace and unity.”
• “I wasn’t planning on being president but I was the chosen one! People proposed me as the candidate and I was elected,”
• “Sport taught me how to give back to others, and share what you have for their improvement. It paved the way to a better life and gave me great lessons in leadership for when I became the president.”
• "Every person who participates in sport can learn those values, make friendships, and bridge differences. That’s the real power of sport.”
• “I’m still passionate and busy in the world of sport and about the impact it can have on people’s lives. I feel that it is my purpose in life, to use sport to impact people in a positive way,”
  • Reunited: Derartu Tulu and Elana Meyer remember iconic 'lap 26' at Barcelona 1992 Olympics,27 September 2022,By Andrew Binner

External links

This user has a page on Wikimedia Commons.