Lesson 3: Resilience heroes

 As a child he ran 10 kilometers to school and back every day and this built his endurance and passion for running. It has been reported that this daily run led to a distinctive running posture, with his left arm crooked as if he was still holding his school books.

His family had limited access to healthcare and when his mother developed a serious illness she sadly passed away. Gebrselassie was a young boy when this happened and this heartbreaking personal tragedy made him determined to succeed. 

He saw running as a way to honour her memory and create a better future for himself and his family.

This growth mindset led him to win the 10,000 metre and 5,000 metre races at the World Junior Championships, marking the start of his legendary career.

He went on to dominate the 10,000 metre event for nearly a decade, winning two Olympic gold medals and four consecutive World Championships.

Despite suffering from chronic asthma, he trained relentlessly, proving that even physical limitations could not hold him back.

In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Haile aimed for a third consecutive gold in the 10,000 metres but struggled with injuries and finished 5th. Instead of giving up, he used this challenge as an opportunity to become a marathon runner.

At 35, he broke the marathon world record in Berlin, proving that adapting to embrace new opportunities can lead to success.

Outside of running, Gebrselassie has achieved many personal and professional goals. In 1995 he ventured into entrepreneurship, investing earnings from his sporting achievements into Ethiopia’s economy, building hotels, schools and businesses to create opportunities for others.

MOHAMED SALAH 

Salah grew up in a small village in Egypt and had dreams of becoming a professional footballer. His parents weren’t wealthy, but they supported his ambitions with the resources they had.

He was very talented, however he had limited access to professional training facilities and coaching, and there weren’t many opportunities for him to be discovered by larger football clubs.

Salah decided to move to Cairo to advance his football career. This helped him move towards his goal of being a professional footballer, but he didn’t know anyone and missed his family. 

He then moved to Europe to play for bigger football clubs such as Chelsea FC. In Europe he had to adapt to new cultures, communicate with people who didn’t speak the same language as him and perform at a high level in a new and competitive league.

Despite all these challenges, Salah was resilient and remained focused on his goal to become a professional football player. His growth mindset helped him to persevere and stay committed.

He is now seen as one of the greatest football players of all time and is a symbol of national pride in Egypt for his achievements. 

But he didn’t stop there. Salah’s self-efficacy, belief in his ability to complete a task or achieve a goal, led him to help others. He has donated millions of dollars to support people in Egypt and across the middle east who are less fortunate than him.

He was also the ambassador for Instant Network Schools, an organisation that helps young people living across Africa get access to quality digital education.

YUSRA MARDINI

Yusra grew up in Syria and was a talented swimmer from a very young age. She trained with Syria’s national swimming team and won medals in national competitions. Yusra’s goal was to compete in the Olympic games one day.

Yusra and her sister were forced to flee their home after the Syrian Civil War began. They travelled all the way to Europe. The journey was dangerous, and she missed her family very much.

In Europe, Yusra lived in refugee camps where she had to adapt to a new way of life and faced many challenges. But she remained committed to her dream and found a local swimming pool where she convinced a coach to allow her to train.

With her coach’s support, in 2016 Yusra competed at the Rio Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Team and achieved her goal.

But like Mohamed Salah, she didn’t stop there. After competing in the Olympic Games Yusra used her fame (and applied her self-efficacy) to raise awareness about the refugee crisis.

Her resilience and growth mindset led her to be named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

YETNEBERSH NIGUSIE 

Yetnebersh was born in Ethiopia and lost her eyesight at the age of five due to an illness called meningitis. In her community, people believed that disability was a curse and this meant she was treated unfairly and experienced social prejudices.

However, her family decided to send her to school to give her opportunities. In spite of her setbacks, Yetnebersh studied hard and saw education as her path to empowerment. Eventually she gained a law degree and a masters in social work at Addis Ababa University. 

During her time at university, Yetnebersh because a student leader and activist, advocating for the rights of women and people with disabilities and illnesses.

She co-founded the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) to promote inclusive policies for people with disabilities. Under her leadership, ECDD became one of the main driving forces for inclusion and for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Ethiopia. 

She has opened the Yetnebersh Academy for underprivileged children in Addis Ababa and won many awards including the Right Livelihood Award in 2017.

Yetnebersh’s has expanded beyond Ethiopia, making her a leading global voice for disability rights.