But Tuliamuk didn't know any of that quite yet. Instead, it was Loroupe who was quite taken with the young runner's abilities.
"The athletes I had beaten in the 10,000 were way older than me, so Tegla was very impressed by my performances," Tuliamuk remembers. "She ended up giving me a pair of shoes and she became my hero instantly."
Tuliamuk didn't race in the brand-new flats right away ("I wasn't used to wearing shoes and racing, I thought they would hold me back.") but she treasured the gift, saving the new shoes for special occasions.
"It meant the world to me," she says. "I was barefoot at the time, so to get this really beautiful, clean pair of shoes from her was awesome."
Now with the hope of running in the Olympics for her adopted country, Tuliamuk can dare to live her dream despite the spread of COVID-19, which has put a pause on proceedings in the world over.
"I am grateful thus far, my immediate family, friends, and I are healthy and safe, the consequences of COVID-19 have definitely impacted my plans - both for my career and my life - and that has been difficult to come to terms with," Tuliamuk said.
But she still hopes to win her first Olympic medal.
"It's scary not knowing what the future holds. As an athlete, my goal is to bring home a medal for my country. But I think what I really want is for the world to heal so that all of us can pursue, and hopefully achieve, any of our individual and collective goals in life. That hope, that new dream, is what will keep me running," she said.
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2020-09-15
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