The Athlete

Abebe Bikila is on a journey, traversing the great nation of Ethiopia in his Volkswagen Beetle. He is THE ATHLETE – the heroic winner of two Olympic gold medals for marathon running (1960 in Rome and 1964 in Tokyo). Of strong character and superhuman endurance, Bikila spent his youth running on Ethiopia's Abyssinian plateau, following Mussolini's takeover. His 1960 victory in Rome was doubly sensational – not only was it the first gold medal won by an African athlete, but also he ran the marathon barefoot. After Ethiopians had suffered so much under the Italians, his triumph at the Coliseum caused jubilation. But now, in 1969, Bikila loses concentration and crashes his car. Tragically, the accident leaves him a paraplegic. Still, his perseverance never wanes and he soldiers on to compete internationally as an archer and a dog-sled musher. Abebe Bikila's quiet dignity became a symbol of hope for a continent struggling for self-determination. The saying goes: “It took 500,000 Italian soldiers to occupy Ethiopia, but just one Ethiopian soldier to conquer Rome.” (In English and Amharic with subtitles) – B.B.