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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Ryan Geertsma.
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And I’m Ruby Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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In 2008, the summer Olympics took place in Beijing, China. Athletes from around the world gathered there to compete in many sports. All of them dreamed of winning their events – winning a gold medal! The Olympics are over, but the stories of the athletes continue to encourage people around the world.
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Most of the athletes were given much support from their home countries. They trained using the best equipment. Many had experienced teachers to help them succeed. They worked hard for months, even years to become the best at their sport.
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But for some athletes, it was very difficult to train for the Olympics. Some came from poor countries that could not give them the best equipment or teachers. Others lived in cities divided by violence or war. And other athletes struggled with sickness, injuries or family problems. For these athletes, simply competing in the Olympics was an amazing achievement!
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So on today’s Spotlight we share the stories of two of these athletes.
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Samiya Yuusf Omar is a seventeen year old runner from the country of Somalia, in Africa. At the 2008 Olympics, she ran the two hundred meter race.
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For Samiya, training for the Olympics was difficult for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons was her home country. Somalia has been divided by conflict since before Samiya was born. The government does not control the country. Soldiers from different groups are everywhere, and violence is common.
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The war destroyed most of Somalia’s sport buildings and training centres, so Samiya did not have a safe place to run. Most of the time, she ran in an area full of holes, created by bombs. But on some days, she could not even run there. Soldiers would stop her, saying that women should not run. Samiya said,
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“Traditionally Somalis see the girls as ruined if they join in with things like sports and music... So I have been coming under pressure from all different sides. Some days, early in the morning... I come to a road block, set up by soldiers. They prevent me from going to the training.”
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Samiya’s family could not provide her with many resources for her training either. Her father died when she was very young, so her mother cares for Samiya on her own. They live in a very small house near the area where Samiya trained.
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With her mother’s support, Samiya earned a place on Somalia’s Olympic team. This made her very happy, and very proud. She never expected to be chosen, because she is so young and because she is from a minority ethnic group.
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At the Beijing Olympics, Samiya ran the slowest time of all the runners in her event. But she still felt very happy that she got to compete.
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“This is the best thing any athlete can hope for. It has been a very happy experience for me. I am proud to bring the Somali flag to fly with all of these countries, and to stand with the best athletes in the world.”
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Because Samiya is only seventeen years old, she will probably run in the next summer Olympic Games. There, she hopes that she will have a chance to win! She said,
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“I think right now... I am on my way to a bright future.”
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Like Samiya, Nery Brenes also ran at the Beijing Olympics. He is twenty two years old, and lives in Costa Rica. His event was the four hundred meter race.
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Many people believe Nery Brenes is the best runner in all of Costa Rica. Before the Olympics, they believed he was the country’s best chance of winning an event! But for Nery, life was not always easy. His home city, Lim |