Weini Kelati Showing What's Possible

Keeping Track

The gals catch up for a bit then we talk to newly professional runner, NCAA XC and 10,000m champ Weini Kelati. We talk about her recent year during Covid times at school in New Mexico, her decisions to go pro and where to go and who to sign with, and then we delve into part of Weini’s backstory . She tells us about how she found running in her rural Eritrean village, and how she hopes to inspire a wider view of what’s possible for women back home.

Catch up:

0-6 Alysia’s Diastasis Recti surgery recovery- prioritize your body’s peak functioning!

8-Ro’s post baby life update. Resource yourself!

14-Molly: Alexi Papas Op Ed on clinical depression and Aliphine Tuliamuk baby announcement!

17-athlete mental health risks

19-having something outside of sport as an athlete can help you keep perspective and joy

25-Weini’s introduction and our takeaways from the conversation

33: intro Weini @kelatiweini twitter and @weini_kelati instagram and Weini Kelati facebook

Her life this year during covid: school, class online, training, no racing

34-On going pro!

Importance of seeking and making your own support group as an athlete (like a family away from your family)

How she made her decision to go to Flagstaff (Dark Sky Distance with Steven Haas and Under Armor)

42- Weini’s journey into the sport as a girl from rural Eritrea and how she got to USA and stayed at 17 years old

45-she walked to meet 5 hours away!

53 “(in my village in Eritrea) Your family has no vision for you as a girl. All they know is you can get married in a few years, and you have to learn what your Mom does. I didn’t see a lot of runners, I hadn’t heard of runners or anything.’

“I want to be the best example I can be-I want to through running inspire the women and young adults (back home)....I want to show that they can be independent and do things bigger than what’s expected”

55-misguided beliefs about women’s health and sport back home, disapproval of letting kids go away overnight to meets

57-courage to go against the norm

Ro wants to share this video , explaining barriers to access to physical exercise, (such as Weini describes back home and we see in the USA as well!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgClXqDxtZg&t=1s&fbclid=IwAR1piTvXrsTWAHGfRyPPo70vDg8Qvfljv_jZvqKJ1dVF3cSsSJAl-hWaVYU