Weini's Race

The day we met Weini, we knew she was a special person.

The setting was a UNM indoor track meet.

Weini Kelati, a runner for the Lobos had just set a meet record in the mile run.

She stepped off the track, caught her breath and then proceeded to sit with our Running Medicine youth for the next 15 minutes. Topics included Jo Jo Siwa, favorite foods and the reasons why we run.

Weini continued to excel, winning national championships in track and cross country. But she never stopped coming to share her energy and time with our group.

The day the pandemic hit in March 2020, she was prepared to win a few more NCAA titles as UNM was to host the indoor national championships. Teams had already arrived in Albuquerque for the meet, but the meet never happened. Facing uncertainty this fall of whether racing would happen during her senior year, she signed with Under Armour, joining the select few who get to run professionally.

Our Native Health Initiative had a chance to pay her back somewhat this spring, hosting her for her practicum in health education as she worked toward a college degree. In exchange, we had a professional runner hanging out with us, running with our youth in the Running Medicine program. Not a bad trade.

Two weeks ago, Weini has a week like no other. The U.S. Olympic Trials were well underway in Eugene, Oregon and yet she still did not know if she would be running. Not an issue of whether she was fast enough. Not a controversy like the ones we see play out in sports. The issue was the Weini was not a U.S. Citizen and would have to gain citizenship in order to toe the line.

Her 10k race was on Saturday, June 26^th. As of Wednesday morning, she was still a citizen of Eritrea where she emigrated from at age 17. In a flurry of activity, she was allowed to sit for a citizenship test and take an oath Wednesday afternoon. But it was Friday evening before all of the other technicalities were completed and she was approved to run in the meet.

We were fortunate enough to be part of her welcoming party in Eugene, complete with signs we made for her. Yes, we wanted to see her win but we knew she had already won with U.S. Citizenship that had been such a long process for her.

We were in the front row cheering her on in a brutal 25-lap race run in brutal heat. She dropped out after staying with the first pack for the first miles.

So, she won’t be representing our country in Tokyo this summer, but Weini has a blindingly bright future ahead of her. Excited to continue to cheer her on as she cheers on others.

Pic with Weini (far right) and another former Lobo Edna Kurgat 

(also racing the 10k at U.S. Olympic Trials), Eugene, Oregon

Video of our family presenting Weini with the homemade posters in Eugene the day before the 10k race.

https://www.facebook.com/runningmedicineabq/videos/170358651734724/

Washington Post article about her journey the week of the Olympic Trials

Weini Kelati becomes a U.S. citizen just in time for a Tokyo Olympics bid - The Washington Post