Abebe Bikila

Bikila was married to Yewubdar, with whom he had four children.

Abebe Bikila was paralyzed after a car accident in 1969.

He was treated for eight months at the Stoke Mandeville hospital in England before he returned.

Born to a poor family, Abebe Bikila was the son of a shepherd and was raised in a village called Jato.

To support his family, young Bikila joined the Imperial Bodyguard Squad of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.

His life took a turn when Swedish Coach, Onni Niskanen recognized Bikila’s athletic talent when he was sent to a government camp.

Abebe Bikila began to prepare for the Olympics when he was 24 years old.

In 1958, Bikila entered the National Armed Forces Championship marathon competition, won it and qualified to enter the Rome Olympic Games in 1960.

A barefooted Bikila won the Olympic marathon in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 16.2 seconds, making his country proud.

In 1964, he participated in the Japan Olympics, even though he had not recovered from his appendicitis surgery, and won a medal for his country, setting a world record as the first man to win double-Olympics marathon.

After his car accident in 1969, Bikila became quadriplegic but his love for sports did not falter.

As a paraplegic athlete, he competed in the International Paraplegic Games in Norway and many other such events.

Abebe Bikila was the first African to win the Olympic marathon gold medal and is known as the first athlete to win two Olympic gold medals in marathon.

He participated in fifteen marathons in his lifetime including the Olympics and Ethiopian marathons.

Olympic gold medal in 1960 Rome Summer Games.

A second Olympics gold medal in the 1964Tokyo Olympics.

Winner of many other marathons including the marathon in Kosice, Zarauz, South Korea, Otsu and the 20,000 meters marathon in Copenhagen.