聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Ted Jaleta says, 鈥淚've run for pleasure and I've run for my life.鈥� The Regina marathon runner, author, humanitarian, Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame inductee and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal recipient recently delivered his challenging and inspiring message to students, as part of Arcola School's Education Week celebrations.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The 鈥渁lmost 60鈥�-year-old was one of eight children born into a farming family in northwestern Ethiopia, and one of the first members of his family to attend school.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e had no running water, no electricity,鈥� says Jaleta. 鈥淢y parents couldn't read and write-that was a privilege reserved for the very few-but they believed in education, especially my mother.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ometimes, I was late to school, because I had to get up early to do chores at about 5 a.m. We had no clock, just a radio. It was pretty hit and miss, so I often used the shadows to tell time.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd that's how my running began,鈥� 鈥淚 didn't want to be late for school, but I had to finish the chores, so often I was running to school.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he distance to school was more than 10 km,鈥� he adds. 鈥淎nd I walked there barefoot, from the age of five.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 While education opened up new opportunities for Jaleta; it also brought challenges-many of which involved heartbreaking choices.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 (now) speak six languages, including English, Swahili and Arabic,鈥� says Jaleta. 鈥� There are more than 80 languages and 200 dialects in Ethiopia. But when I started school, school was taught in a language I didn't understand. It was very difficult and I faced bullying and was punished severely for not understanding. I almost gave up.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here were no role models or support back then. So my role models were teachers. They dressed better and they had shoes-and I had none. That's how I measured my success.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jaleta persevered and from grades four through eight, attended a second school that was a four-day walk from his home.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was only home during Christmas and Easter,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was very mountainous country up and down and mules and donkeys carried our supplies.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After completing grade eight, Jaleta's mother- 鈥渕y first hero鈥�-and father decided that he had enough education.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou have to understand, my mother, especially, dreamed of a better future for me. She was a community leader and she taught me compassion and caring for others. Without my mother, I would not be here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut by grade eight, I had to make the choice to run away from home in order to continue my education, because both she and my father believed that grade eight was enough education for me. I stayed with an uncle and I didn't see my parents again until grade 11.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 During high school, the man whom Jaleta calls 鈥渕y second hero鈥� came to speak. Barefoot runner and later, Olympic gold medalist and Ethiopian, Abebe Bikila made a profound impression on the young Jaleta.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e won the Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome,鈥� says Jaleta. 鈥淗e told me: 'Don't get held back because you don't have shoes. Instead, work hard and don't set barriers, set goals. Make the right choices.'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Like his hero, Jaleta was soon on track to become a world-class long-distance runner and Olympic candidate.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, in 1970, his country entered what Jaleta calls, 鈥渢he darkest period in Ethiopia's history鈥� as civil war broke out.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As a university student, Jaleta was caught up in a peaceful demonstration and was shot in the leg, imprisoned, and brutally tortured.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was shot in my upper left leg,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was lucky my muscles and bones were okay.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a peaceful protest and then the military showed up, firing AK-47s,鈥� says Jaleta. 鈥淲e started running for our lives. At first I didn't realize I had been shot. I felt a burning sensation in my leg and then the wetness on my pants, then I passed out.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As a result, Jaleta was imprisioned in a detention camp, 鈥渁 horrible situation.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was kept in a small room, meant for three or four people. But there were 20 to 30 people standing there. Every night, some were taken for interrogation. Some came back and some did not.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ometimes, we were made to dig our own graves.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was one of the youngest there,鈥� adds Jaleta. 鈥淥nce, 20 of us were ushered outside to sit by the gate. Sometimes, other detainees were coming into the camp, in trucks. The police officer got distracted and I escaped.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here was a small, slim chance that I would succeed in escaping,鈥� he adds. 鈥淓ither I would get killed or at the very least, shot. But I managed to escape. I jumped a brick fence that had broken glass on top. I have lots of scars on my arms.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧eople ask me how I did it. But when you are scared, you can do anything. You just come to understand you're (probably) going to die. At the time, some detainees advised their fellow prisoners to get some cyanide poison, if you could. It was that bad.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 ran for my life and I was a fugitive in my own country for two years. The militia was hunting for me. I hid in caves and I was safe in the bush, so that's when I would stop running.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After two years in hiding, Jaleta escaped to Sudan in 1978, a period he calls 鈥渢he darkest moment of my life.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was in a refugee camp. There was disease and suicide all around me. The conditions were appalling. Sometimes there was no food for two or three days. There was no running water or electricity and when there was food, there was very little.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was so hard---just to survive.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jaleta refused to give up and on Christmas Eve 1978, he was accepted to Kenya, where thanks to a humanitarian organization, he attended trade school from 1979 until 1982.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淟ife was better,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I still wanted more.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was accepted to Canada and in 1982, I arrived in Regina as a refugee. My early years in Canada were very challenging,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I set about adapting to my new home and that meant stepping outside my comfort zone.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 didn't have a clue,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen people ask me what I expected Canada to be like, to be honest, after the refugee camp, having a home and a country to accept me felt like heaven.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen immigration officials asked me where I might like to go, I said I knew of Toronto and Vancouver. I knew Toronto had an Ethiopian community, so that was my first thought, but I really was so grateful to come to Canada, I was happy to be anywhere.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey asked me if I knew anyone in Toronto. When I said, 'No',鈥� they said, 'You're going to Saskatchewan---Regina, Saskatchewan.' I had actually learned about Saskatchewan in school, because it was known for agriculture.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was randomly assigned to Regina,鈥� adds Jaleta. 鈥淏ecause there were immigration quotas. And I'm so glad I came to Regina for so many reasons. I've been there for 33 years now. It was smaller and at that time, didn't have a lot of large ethnic groups, so I had the opportunity to become immersed in Canadian society.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've met wonderful friends here and now my friends and family are here. I don't need to go anywhere else.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, life in Canada required Jaleta to consciously make the choice to adapt to yet another new environment.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 chose to move out of my comfort zone to learn more about my new country,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he weather was different and there was a language barrier. But community members and people were very welcoming. But coming from an African village, it was scary.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut I knew that Canadians were compassionate and caring, so I knew that I was in good hands.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In Canada, Jaleta says he was inspired by the man he calls 鈥渕y third hero鈥�-Terry Fox.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭erry Fox made me realize I could reach my potential,鈥� says Jaleta. 鈥淗is story inspired me to believe I could do anything. He took a negative and turned it into a positive for others.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was empowered by his message. I put up his poster in my room. I quit smoking. I took up running again.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 realized that every choice I made affected my destiny. My choices regarding diet, friendship, education, activities, community involvement...It all helped to shape my future.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎nd you don't know where destiny can take you.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Since his arrival in Canada, Jaleta worked several jobs-often more than one at a time. 鈥淚 worked in construction, I did manual labour,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut eventually, I went to university to become an accountant and I've only recently retired. I worked for 25 years at the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) as an auditor.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Still a runner and enthusiastic community volunteer, Jaleta has received numerous honours-among them, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and in 2005, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Combining both his athletic and philanthropic interests, he founded Regina's 'Jaleta's Pacers'-a group of runners who 鈥渉ave raised over $600,000 for local charities.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Married with two sons, Jaleta credits the 鈥渟econd chance鈥� Canada gave him and is determined to repay this country and its people for making him one of their own.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ince I came to Canada, I see opportunities everywhere,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen I received an award, I never imagined such a moment, when I was sitting in a refugee camp contemplating suicide. I used to homeless and now I have a home and a beautiful family.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's a great opportunity to be born and raised here,鈥� says Jaleta. 鈥淎nd my biggest message to young people is if they want to succeed and live life to the fullest, education is one of the greatest tools and they should take it seriously.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐anada is a great country, you don't have to walk or run from far away to get an education, and you don't have to run for your life.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y advice is: 'If you have the motivation and if you do the work, anything is possible.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information, check out .
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽
