In Ethiopia, at an altitude of 2,700 meters, Abdi & Abdi, as they are now affectionately known, have been copying the preparations for the Olympic Games for the past two months. They train at Yaya Village, the training center founded in 2009 by legend Haile Gebrselassie.
There the two are joined by Mo Farah, another Somali who fled to Europe. The four-time Olympic champion, who plays for Great Britain, is working on his recovery on the Ethiopian plateau after a serious foot injury.
opposites
“We really need each other,” Nageeye says of Abdi. He, the stolid runner who has unshakable confidence in his final sprint, learns a lot from Abdi, the dedicated athlete for whom training schedules are sacred. It is such a typical example of opposites attracting. “We really complement each other in all areas. I would never have come this far on my own.”
They also share a dream that has come true for both in Rotterdam. “In 2010 I was faced with a choice,” recalls Nageeye. “Do I focus on further education, or do I put everything on athletics? I left for Kenya and decided to see where the ship would run aground. And look where I am now.”
With his victory in Rotterdam, he really just wants to say this. “Keep dreaming. And keep believing in yourself.”
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