Feb. 19, 2003
Toledo, OH - Life for the average American seven-year-old consists of coming home from school and either playing with friends, playing video games or watching cartoons. For Abraham Habte, a junior distance runner at the University of Toledo, this kind of ordinary childhood would have been more like a fantasy.
Habte was born in Eritrea, a small country in eastern Africa, in a village with no TVs or video games - or even electricity. Eritrea, slightly larger than Pennsylvania, is a desert strip along the coast of the Red Sea that borders Ethiopia to the south and Sudan to the east.
Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked Eritrea's 30-year struggle for independence. Eritrea's independence was eventually approved in 1993 referendum.
With the constant war and threat of danger, Habte's parents decided to leave Eritrea in the late 1980's. They woke him in the middle of the night to leave Miadma, the village where Habte grew up. They left behind what few possessions they had and embarked on a perilous journey.
"I had no idea what was going on," Habte said. "At first I thought we were going on a trip, but after a while I figured out what was going on."
Habte, his family and others from his village set out on a quest for Khartoum, Sudan. They had to travel inconspicuously so the Ethiopian soldiers would not see them.
"We could only move at night," Habte said. "During the day there were helicopters looking for the Eritrean soldiers, who also moved at night so they wouldn't be spotted by the Ethiopian soldiers. We walked the entire way It was a very long journey. I walked some, but being a little kid you could cry and the adults would put you on their shoulder or you could ride a horse."
After the several-hundred mile journey, Habte and his family arrived in Khartoum, the relatively modern capital of Sudan. After five years in Khartoum, Habte and his family moved again, this time to America. While Khartoum was a big change from Eritrea, life in the United States was an even bigger adjustment.
"It was a big culture shock moving to America," said Habte. "The difference of living is not even comparable. When you come to America you see all the big buildings and nice cars, and back in my village you don't see any of that because it is a third-world country. It would have been a bigger culture shock if I had moved from Eritrea straight to America, but when I moved to Khartoum that made it a somewhat easier transition."
After a brief stay in Washington D.C., the Habtes settled in Columbus, OH. While attending Eastmoor High School in Columbus, Habte began running for the school's track and cross country teams. As a senior he was the Ohio state Division I champion in the 3,200-meters.
After graduating from Eastmoor, Habte was ready to move again. This time it was a solo mission. Habte earned a scholarship to run for the University of Toledo track and cross country teams.
"Abraham was our first solid distance recruit to the program in many years," Head Coach Kevin Hadsell said. "He came in after having won the state 3,200-meter championship and has been a leader for us ever since."
In his freshman season at UT, Habte faced another hurdle, this time a career-threatening injury. Toward the end of his freshman year Habte suffered a stress fracture in his femur and a deep muscle strain in his groin. The injury kept him from running for one full year.
"That was the toughest time of my life," Habte said. "There was a time that people would say why are you putting yourself through this, but I realized I was given the gift to run and be good at it. I am glad I never gave up. I love running."
During the summer of 2001, Habte went back to Eritrea to visit family and friends. There he found himself able to jog without the pain. He returned to Toledo and returned to doing what he loves most - running competitively.
"Abe is one of the greatest comeback stories I have ever been a part of," Hadsell said. "He never gave up even after being off an entire year. I have always believed in him and always believed in his abilities. I love the guy like a brother and I am so proud of him."
Habte improved to the point of becoming UT's leading distance runner in 2001-02. He placed fourth at the 2002 MAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000-meters with a time of 30:20, which is the second-fastest time in school history and qualified him to run for Eritrea at the World Cross Country Championships this March in Switzerland. This past year Habte was named first-team All-MAC in cross country, notching two first-place finishes and recording 19th-place at the conference championships.
"What Abe means to this program is much more than being our top runner," said Hadsell. "He is a leader and his personality is one that people are drawn to him. I am really excited for him to continue to improve, and getting to run in the World Cross Country Championships is going to give him a taste of what the next level looks like."
No matter how far Habte goes in his running career, he will always be thankful for that first journey many years ago out of Eritrea and into his new life.
By Jason Payne, UT Athletic Media Relations Office
