First Ethiopian Winter Olympian

I found this article, thought it was pretty neat and thought I would share with everyone :)

Thirty-one year-old Robel Teklemariam is heading to the2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy as the first Ethiopiancitizen to participate in the Winter Olympics.Teklemariam was inspired by Abebe Bikila's triumph as the first blackAfrican Olympic champion at the 1960 games held in Rome.Tadyas caught up with Teklemariam's high school and college coaches,both of whom are delighted to hear that Robel will be representingEthiopia at the February winter games."I can't say enough good things about Robel," says his high schoolcoach Mark Clark. Robel culminated his high school skiing career inColorado by winning three junior olympics. He won a skiingscholarship to attend the University of New Hampshire."He was the top junior skiier out of Colorado when I recruited him torace for UNH," says his college coach Cory Shwartz. "He's a very fluidskiier who has a great feel for the snow."Robel is also making headlines in the sports world by attempting torace in both the cross-country and alpine skiing categories in oneOlympiad -- a feat not previously attempted by any Olympic athlete.