In Pattensen, Lower Saxony, where I was warmly welcomed, I started playing sports. I realized that I could run fast when I had to run three kilometers to catch a bus. My first sporting success was – the German Sports Badge!

Friedrich Weber, who granted me my sports badge on TSV Pattensen’s running track, recognized my talent and supported me. I was 25 years old and still at the beginning of my running career.

I then began to train more systematically, and I also exchanged my 15-euro sneakers from the discounter for my first real running shoes. The more professional training began to pay off quickly, I took part in competitions and fun runs and was able to win a number of North German titles.

2021 brought another athletic breakthrough for me: I completed in the half marathon in Berlin and reached a time of 1:02:47 and in my marathon debut in Berlin I placed 13th with a time of 2:13:47.

I have been living in Hamburg with my wife Brtukan and my three children Matheus, Hana and Hyab since the end of 2021. I joined the Hamburger Laufladen e.V., and in my new adopted city I get a lot of support and have the perfect environment to focus on professional running.

In 2022, things continued on a steep upward trajectory. In mid-September, I received German citizenship. That gave me a real boost, and a few days later I crossed the finish line at the Berlin Marathon in 2:09:06 – I was the fastest German and set a new personal best time.

I have been in the German national squad since November 2022, which makes me very proud.

I made my debut representing Germany for the first time at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. In my inaugural race donning the national colors, I emerged as the fastest German athlete, securing a fifteenth position among a field of elite competitors This notable performance instilled in me the belief that my long-cherished Olympic dream could one day come true.

What are my limits? That’s what I am working on finding out, and I’m taking it one step at a time. Unfortunately, I narrowly missed out on qualifying for Paris. My team and I immediately set a new goal: the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. We now have four years – an entire Olympic cycle – to achieve this goal. I will do everything in my power to make my dream come true.