MURRAY — The Murray High School cross country team received a visit from a special guest Sept. 19 — an Olympic gold medalist, currently ranked as the top female runner in the world.
Ethiopian native Meseret Defar, 23, offered Murray students advice on training and shared some of her history about how she became an Olympic champion.
Defar won an Olympic gold medal for the women's 5,000 meters in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. She was awarded a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and more recently won the 2006 World Indoor Championships in the 3,000 meters. In June she broke the outdoor world's record in the 5K at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York.
She was in Utah for a few days in connection with the Mesgana Dancers Tour 2006 and to run in the Top of Utah 5K in Logan on Sept. 23. The Mesgana Dancers are a group of Ethiopian girls, ages 7-12, who are students in the Children of Ethiopia Education Fund, based in Murray. The nonprofit group sponsors more than 700 girls in private schools throughout Ethiopia. Defar helps sponsor the team and was named as an honorary director of the group.
Defar told students, with the aid of a translator, that she trains twice a day and runs three times a week for an hour to an hour and a half. She started running when she was 14 because she liked it.
One student asked Defar how she avoids injuries, and Defar said she takes care of her legs so she doesn't hurt anything. She also prefers training on grassy areas because it isn't as hard on her legs, she said.
Another student asked Defar what tips she would give on how to become a better runner.
She replied that she "believes in training and having a good trainer" and "not eating fatty foods and no soft drinks." She also said an athlete needs to give his or her body plenty of rest.
Her future plans include breaking her own world record and continuing to compete.
Students were slightly discouraged at the counsel Defar offered, especially about eating more healthfully but still felt it was neat to meet her.
"It's depressing because I know I'm never going to be that good, but it's cool just to meet someone that is famous for being the best in something," said Brooke Larsen, 17.
Ashley Mcswain, the coach of the Murray cross country team, felt Defar's visit was beneficial for his students and hoped they could take some of her advice.
"Hopefully the diet and nutrition part will be (what they follow)," he said. "I don't know how easy it is to get a Coke and Snickers bar in Ethiopia, but it makes it a lot harder around here to follow nutrition, especially for these teenagers."
The impact of meeting a famous runner probably won't hit the teens until later, Mcswain said.
"It will make more of an impact when they see her in action," he said. "I know a lot of them already have, but when they see it again they can look back and say, 'I met this person."'
E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com