TEFERI Selamawit

General
REPRESENTING ISRAEL
She began her international career representing Ethiopia, the country of her birth, including at the 2019 Berlin Half Marathon in Germany. She became eligible for Israeli citizenship after marrying her husband Maru Teferi in January 2017, and obtained her citizenship in April 2019. "We did not have a wedding celebration. We went to the municipality and the interior ministry. We will have a big celebration sometime in the future. Many good people and organisations helped me receive my citizenship and helped me integrate here, and I am grateful to them all. Having citizenship helps me train with peace of mind and focus." The couple met while training in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and began a relationship, which became long-distance when Maru returned to Israel, before the couple reunited in Israel in 2017. "I was 17 [when they met] and Maru was 19. It was difficult. We spoke on the phone, but it's not the same as being together. Despite all the challenges and the distance, we stayed together." (jta.org, 02 Jul 2021; heyalma.com, 30 Jun 2021; israelhayom.com, 28 Jun 2021; laufen.de, 07 Apr 2019)