The
Dibaba Sisters (Ejegayehu Dibala, Tirunesh Dibala, Genzebe Dibala and Mare
Dibala) from Ethiopia, are the fastest family on earth. They are the only
siblings in recorded history to hold concurrent world records and have 4
Olympic gold medals, 2 silvers, 3 bronze and 15 World Championships.
Ejegayehu Dibala:
Ethiopian long-distance runner and 2004 Olympic silver medallist at 10,000
meters.
Tirunesh Dibala:
Ethiopian long-distance runner who has achieved multiple Olympic and World
Championships gold medals and world records.
Genzebe Dibala:
Ethiopian long-distance runner and 2015 1,500-meter World Champions gold
medalist.
Mare Dibala:
Ethiopian marathon runner and 2015 World Championships marathon winner.
What People Say:
Judy Hulen
This
is a marvelous story, Kathleen. What are the chances of there being so much
athletic talent in one family? Got to be the record!
Arif Aziz
Those
who make some comments about how beautiful these women are, just to let them know
that Ethiopian men are equally handsome and slender too. I was fortunate to
know a few of them, a student at our Universities, they are indeed very
athletic and blessed with a beautiful voice too. I always imagine how Queen
Sheba looks like then, now I know
Jo Mburu
Pride
of Ethiopia, amazing how one family can be blessed.
Geraldine Merola
Thank
goodness they were born now and not 100 years ago when their talents would
never have seen the light of day! Just magnificent women and such a wonderful
story, thanks.
In Summary, the
Dibaba sisters- Ejegayehu, Tirunesh, Genzebe and Mare -are the only siblings in
recorded history to hold concurrent world records, and they are a fiercely
competitive family from a humble background. They were raised in a round mud
hut in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, without electricity. Their parents
were subsistence farmers who grew wheat, barley and teff. As a matter of fact,
the Dibaba siblings are seven in all, and all of them run.
Ato
Boldon, NBC’s track analyst, told Vogue in 2016: “It’s not a stretch to say
they are the world’s fastest family.” The sisters have remained a household
name in Ethiopia, a country that has produced some of the world’s greatest
runners, alongside Kenya.
The mother
of the Dibaba sisters told Vogue that the siblings are successful thanks to the
environment they were raised in, especially the ready supply of milk they get
from the family cows.
The
runners’ feat is also attributed to their diet — especially teff rich in iron
and calcium — and their “small lightweight frame”. The Dibaba sisters have the
body type good for sports, analysts say. Boldon said in 2016 that if one
compares the sisters to a car, they would be a Ford Focus with a Ferrari
engine.
And
just like other successful athletes, the Dibabas have invested their monies
back into their communities. The sisters, alongside their in-laws, are real
estate moguls owning several buildings in Addis Ababa. Still, the sisters
continue to shine brightly in the sports world.
