“After I raced at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, I intentionally didn’t get on the plane to go home. I made that decision right before I left for the United States.” These were the words that Weini Kelati said as she left behind her life in Eritrea to pursue her dreams. So, was it worth it for East Africa? Well, she is an NCAA champion now, so it is hard to argue otherwise. But not everything can be perfect, can it? Such was also the case for the track and field athlete. But how hard was it? And just how tough was it to leave her family behind?
Well, the Eritrean recently took her time to give her input on the journey. She made it wholesome for the fans as she tried to help everyone get through their life. But where did she do that? Well, appearing on the March 12 episode of the USATF Journey to Gold Zone Podcast, Kelati spoke about her challenges. One of the hosts, Wallace Spearman, asked what advice Weini had for youngsters who face setbacks and have to accept help from someone else to get better. So what did the Eritrean have to say to that?
Well, to this, the 2019 Division 1 Cross Country Champion had just one answer. That is, simply, adversities are part of life. She mentions how different people might be going through different circumstances. She also mentions the struggles that she faced. According to her, “For me, it’s a different situation because my family is far away and the only way (I) can talk to them is by phone call and we have a time difference and I can’t face them.” With a time difference of 10 hours between her home country of Eritrea and Arizona, this is all she can do.
But she says, for others, that isn’t an issue. And they should not waste this fortunate opportunity. She continues, “You’re lucky to have people in your family, your close friends, close to you. Just talk to someone you trust and you feel relief about it.” Continuing, she said it’s ok to be vulnerable to your close ones. After all, you are just being yourself and expressing what you feel. And it’s not wrong.
She adds, “That’s okay to cry in front of them. It’s not embarrassing. You’re trying to express what you have inside, and it’s gonna help you feel better.” But what does the 28-year-old do in such scenarios when she can’t connect with a loved one, someone she truly can depend on? “All I do is just pray. Prayer can help you just to feel as much as you talk to someone,” says the Paris Olympics 10000m runner.
Continuing, she said, “But it’s good to have found someone, really important person, to care everything what you have it. If you don’t find, as I said, it’s just like prayers can help you a lot to get through.” She has had to get through a lot. From asking for asylum, not knowing English that well, and not having her family right beside her as she embarked on an unknown journey in 2014. She needed someone.
For her, prayers were the answer. And while she has been on her American adventure, her family tried to do as much as possible to show her she was not alone.
Weini Kelati was being cheered on to pursue her track and field dream
In this voyage to become an independent woman with a thriving track and field career, Weini has had a lot of support. Like her third cousin, Amlesom Teklai, who lived in Leesburg, Virginia. He welcomed his home to Weini so that she could settle down in the new country and start her journey. “I was so relieved when he was more than happy to help me,” she said to ESPN in November 2019.
Teklai was a distance runner during his college days at Stephen F. Austin. And while Kelati was just focusing on earning a living, it was her cousin who pushed her not to give up on her dreams. He encouraged her to turn pro. When she joined Heritage High School in Virginia, it was Teklai who approached the school’s cross country coach, Doug Gilbert. Weini won many races with Heritage.
This gave her the foundation to build a long-term career in track and field. Emotionally, she has always had her family’s unflinching support. She said in the USATF Journey to Gold Zone Podcast, “I know that I have a very supportive family. They’re always caring for me, like whatever happens, it doesn’t matter whether I win or I lose.” Her biggest supporter is her mother.
Talking to Runner’s World in November 2022, she said, “My mom is my best friend… I think about her when things get hard.” Continuing to talk about how the 2025 Houston Half Marathon silver medalist was influenced by her mother, she said, “She taught me to be independent, work hard, and love everyone because life is short. My mom is the strongest woman that I’ve ever known.”
She tried to stay connected with her mother as much as possible, even when she was just a college student and wasn’t a superstar yet. The Paris Olympics trials 10000m champion said, “While we were separated, I shared updates and photos with her as much as possible.”
The Olympian further added, “I told her about my running—becoming an NCAA champion and a 13-time All-American—getting my degree from the University of New Mexico, and gaining U.S. citizenship. She is so happy for me. She knows that if I say I’m going to do something, it happens.” It is safe to say that she has achieved most of her dreams. As for the rest, Weini Kelati is working on it.
The post Leaving Home Country at 17, Track and Field Star Makes Honest Confession About Facing Struggles: “My Family Is Far Away” appeared first on EssentiallySports.