Paris 2024 Olympics: Representing IOC Refugee Olympic Team 'a dream come true' for cyclist Eyeru Gebru

Published 20/06/2024 at 12:26 GMT

Ethiopian racing cyclist Eyeru Gebru's world was turned upside down by war in her home country. This summer she will represent the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024, selection for which she described as 'a dream come true'. The 27-year-old was almost moved to tears when she took part in the Olympic torch relay and feels honoured to represent more than 100 million forcibly displaced people.

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Eyeru Gebru says it is “a dream come true” to race for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Paris 2024.

The professional Ethiopian racing cyclist’s world was turned upside down by the breakout of war in her home country, but the 27-year-old is honoured to represent more than 100 million people displaced worldwide.

Speaking to two-time Refugee Olympian Yusra Mardini in her adopted home of Evian-les-Bains, on the shores of Lake Geneva, Gebru recalled the moment she found out she was going to the Olympic Games.

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“When I heard that I was selected for the Paris Olympics, I was so emotional because it was my dream to compete in the Olympics,” said Gebru.

“For me it was amazing and it’s a dream come true.

“I would like to prepare as much as I can for the race. I know it’s a really hard race but I don’t want to aim for less.”

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team will be represented by 36 athletes from 11 different countries at Paris 2024, which will be the third Olympics to feature the team, the largest in history.

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Gebru chose to pursue cycling over schooling when she was 17, moving to the high-altitude cyclists’ haven in Mekelle, Tigray.

She was soon competing at an elite level, racing in Europe for three years with UCI Women Continental teams and riding at the UCI Road World Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

“I was following my dreams, living my life,” recalled Gebru.

But returning home for the off-season in 2020, war erupted in Tigray, and Gebru was forced to return to Europe and seek asylum in France.

“It was really horrible,” said Gebru. “I couldn’t go to see my family because everything was blocked and the war was so intense.

“My friends who do cycling died and [people] from my family too. I didn’t want to wait there, so I decided to leave my country.

“The biggest challenge is being far from your family and you cannot see them.

“The time you’ve been separated from them is getting longer and you miss them; it’s a big challenge, but we have to be strong.”

Now, Gebru is training hard on the steep Alpine slopes surrounding Evian, which she describes as her “happy place”.

But she was able to take time out of her preparation schedule to take part in the Olympic relay, an experience that almost brought her to tears.

“It was amazing,” remembered Gebru. “I never expected in my life to [carry] the torch for the Olympics. I don’t know if it was my greatest and proudest of days.

“It was so emotional. I wanted to cry but I said, 'okay hold it, hold it'. And now when I see the pictures it makes me emotional.”

Mardini, a former competition swimmer from Syria, was one of the first to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team, when it was introduced back in 2016.

The then-teenager needed some time to get her head around the concept of the new team, but was inspired by representing something far larger than sport.

“It was really incredible because it took me a while to get used to the word refugee when I got to Germany; I was only 17 years old,” said Mardini.

“I was like, there’s a Refugee Olympic Team – what’s that? Because it was the first time the team ever existed.

“But when I met everyone on the team and I understood we’re representing something way bigger than a gold medal, it just really gave me the motivation.”

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