Fiteness

This morning I got up early for a meeting. As I left the hotel the most incredible scene lay before me. There must have been 100's of Ethiopians all dressed in shorts, tank tops and t-shirt and running up the main drag of Addis Ababa. There were groups running in unison and others sprinting up the hills on their own. As I drove past Meskel square I saw troops racing up and down the stairs round and round the square. Ever since Ethiopians started racking up the wins and the prize money, Ethiopians - who have a natural running ability - see it as a way out of poverty. I cannot think of any other developing country where people place such high value on fitness.

Jamaica provides an interesting comparison. Earlier this year while I was on vacation in Jamaica, I met one of the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team. He said that when he in the Olympic village, all the other Olympic athletes were lining up to get their autographs, but when they are home Jamaicans don't even realized that they have a bobsled team, never mind recognizing the team members. Maybe if there were more money in bobsledding ...