Living to run, running to live

Running has always been central to Ted Jaleta's life. Growing up on a farm in eastern Ethiopia, Jaleta ran everywhere. When he was outside playing, he ran. When he had to deliver a message, he ran. When he went to school, he ran.

By his late teens, Jaleta made the junior national running team and was given the chance to compete against some of the best runners in his country. Jaleta, it seemed, was destined to one day be a member of Ethiopia's Olympic team - or at least that was his dream.

Running for survival

But in 1974, Jaleta's Olympic dream was shattered.

On Sept. 12 of that year, a Marxist military junta overthrew Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, sending the country into tumult.

"It was pure chaos," said Jaleta.

Two years later, during a peaceful protest, running took on a new significance for Jaleta. It was no longer for pleasure or competition - this time, it was for survival.

"We were marching to parliament and the military randomly started firing at us," said Jaleta. "There was panic and chaos and I started running for my life."

But something was wrong. Jaleta felt a burning sensation and noticed a wetness in his shoe. When he looked down he noticed blood oozing through his pants. Soon after, he passed out, was caught, taken to a hospital and handcuffed to the bed.

From there, things only got worse.

Running for freedom

Jaleta was imprisoned and tortured for the next six months.

"It was just cruel,' he said. "At night there was interrogation and torture. Hitting, barb wire, being hung upside down ... some people came back; others didn't return."

Jaleta thought that perhaps he was nearing the end. But one day a strange turn of events gave him a second lease on life.

"It was evening and few of us were sitting in the courtyard," he said. "Suddenly there was a commotion. Yelling and shouting was followed by gunfire. The officer watching us lost focus and I managed to jump the barb wire and escape."

His next few days were spent running for his life through dense forests, around mountains and across vast farmland. He would spend the following two years as a fugitive, hiding in the mountains, before the military got wise to his location.

Again, Jaleta had to flee - this time to Sudan, where he entered a refugee camp.

"It was worse than you can imagine," Jaleta said of his experience there. "No running water, suicide, starvation ... One day you have a normal life, the next day you have nothing. Now that's desperation."

Running for a new beginning

Jaleta spent the next four years in refugee camps in Sudan and Kenya before immigrating to Regina in 1982.

"The first few years here were quite a struggle," he said.

Working odd jobs, without a family or social network for support, Jaleta decided to go back to school and continue his education.

Then, in 1984, he began to run again.

"At first I did it to get back into shape," he said, "but then, eventually, I started to compete again."

By 1997, Jaleta was ranked seventh in the world in the masters division of long-distance running. In 2005, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.

And while all the competions and accolades were more than welcome, those years were better defined by the personal experiences Jaleta encountered.

"I met a lot of wonderful people through running," said the 53-year-old. "It helped me get immersed into mainstream society."

These days Jaleta is a published author and motivational speaker as well as working for Revenue Canada. But running is something near and dear to his heart - the one constant in his otherwise turbulent life.

"Without running, I don't think I would be talking to you today."

Jaleta will be the keynote speaker at the "Dinner and Auction" at the Travelodge on May 23. The event organized by a Prince Albert couple is a fundraiser to assist the Bahir Dar School Renovation Project in Ethiopia.

ahawboldt@paherald.sk.ca