Being picked for a World Championships can be the accomplishment of a lifelong dream for athletes from smaller and less-resourced countries. For Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru, selection for the 2021 Worlds was life-changing, a sliding doors moment that has altered the trajectory of her entire life.

Ethiopia, her nation, was in the grip of a brutal civil war: the federal government, backed by Eritrea, was at conflict with the Tigray region, the country’s cycling heartland. Gebru, a proud Tigrayan, had lived through nine months of hell. Family and friends had died at the hands of their own government; their culture, their way of living, and their future was being oppressed through horrific acts of genocide. 

Gebru wanted – needed – to escape. She had a route out: her bike, more specifically, by being selected to represent Ethiopia at the World Championships in Belgium. It was her only chance.

This article was published on Cyclingnews in September 2023. You can read the full article here.