Cheering Like You Mean It

“It’s funny,” he said, “When we are climbing, once someone is one meter off the ground everyone starts clapping. They have 20 meters to go, but from the moment their feet can’t touch the ground everyone is telling them what a good job they’re doing. And so they get to the top.” Teddy paused and looked around. We all nodded.  “What if that is what Ethiopia needs too?”

Taking off for Accelerate EthiopiaTwo days later I stood next to Teddy and clapped for the runners as they started, as they strided, as they struggled, and as they finished the race. I’ve been thinking since about how to showcase and amplify the clapping that Teddy suggested.

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That's My Life: Interviews with Accelerate Ethiopia

On March 2nd over 150 runners will compete in Ethiopia's first ever trail race-- a half marathon in the country's northern mountain highlands. The race is a culmination of a week of shared contribution to the eye health and educational strength of Ethiopia with Himalayan Cataract Project and imagine1day. In the days leading up to the race I will be bringing you profiles of Accelerate Ethiopia--runners (including local superstars, up and coming pros, and our international team of runners who have made Accelerate Ethiopia possible), educators, doctors, and change makers.

Alem Kahsay

Coach Alem is the Accelerate Ethiopia Race Director. Alem grew up in northern Tigray-- not far from the site of the March 2nd race.  He was a member of the Ethiopian National Team in the early 90's and competed in the marathon, for 5 years. These days Alem lives in New York City and works for the New York Road Runners. We spoke this mornign before a training run...

MB: What do you love about running?

AK: "That's my life." He laughs. "That's the easiest question-- it's what I love."

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The 6 Degrees Of Ethiopian Bacon

Photo by imagine1dayLast week I stood up on a stage by myself in a giant room and told strangers I liked when things were difficult. I was giving a speech at an event with Wright State University and Five Rivers Metro Parks in Dayton, Ohio and I told everyone that complexity was addictive and that I think it makes a life more interesting. And then I was given the gift of a complicated journey back to New England in a major snowstorm.

My travel day doubled in time and I had to chart a course through five states to get home. This would normally be a bummer. But this time I had an email with interview questions in my inbox. The first question: Why do you keep going back to Ethiopia? My answer: Because it’s like Kevin Bacon.

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The Best Worst Idea

Packing for Africa 2011.I’m in Africa, again. And on this trip, Africa x 3. My bags are loaded with what I need to find the course for a trail race in Ethiopia’s high sandstone escarpments, to lead a trip where I and fourteen others will rock climb, mountain bike, and do yoga from Lake Langano’s western shore to Tigray’s northern fields, and to journey to a new mountain in Mozambique for something still very unknown. In five weeks, I will live out a year’s preparation in three phases.  I have enough things—six ropes, two sets of full raingear, nine different types of antibiotics, high heels and sticky rubber approach shoes, yoga tops and bug shirts, gaiters and flip flops, down shirts and shorts, a GPS, camera, back-up camera, audio recorder, two external hard drives, tent, cook sets, titanium pots—to stay here for longer. And I might. After all, I’ve already done the hardest part: I’ve gotten ready. The moment I manipulated that last zipper closed on my last bag I breathed a sigh of relief and submitted to the journey.

Almost six years ago I saw a photo of a cluster of sandstone towers in the north of Ethiopia. Those towers started a trip, a book, and a life where now I have come back for this, my fifth time, to this land to which I never thought I’d return. But here is a confession....

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Imagine Ethiopia 2011: You Can “Go” From Home

As one of the leaders of Imagine Ethiopia 2011 I wanted to share a progress update to inspire and potentially involve you in our next steps. Read on for more.

Earlier this year, Vancouver-based charitable organization, imagine1day, launched their second annual Imagine Ethiopia trip: a two-week adventure that takes participants on a daily exploration of the best that Ethiopia has to offer.

imagine1day is a growing global community of people making passionate contributions to ensure that all Ethiopians have access to quality education funded free of foreign aid by 2030. They ran their first trip to Ethiopia last year to great success.

This year’s trip is fast approaching. The Imagine Ethiopia team is set to arrive in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia’s capital) on October 23 and they are busy. Not busy packing bags – busy with Creatribution. In the lead up to the trip, this year’s participants have chosen to take on raising $100 000 (the funds required to finance a three-year, self-generating education project with imagine1day) before they depart. You can support them here and US donors can support them through GO Campaign, our stateside partner, here.

What is Creatribution? Rather than bore you with an explanation of the concept, here is a glimpse at some of Imagine Ethiopia 2011’s participants and what they are doing to ensure that $100K is in the suitcase bound for Addis this October:

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