Running Man

Katherine K. Gardiner Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior cross country runner Abdi Abdirahman has become one of the Wildcat's top runners so far this season. Abdirahman, a Somalian native, did not come to the United States as a runner, but picked up the sport during his first semester at Pima Community College in 1995.

Starting off in a whole different country is something else entirely.

For UA junior Abdi Abdirahman, it meant learning a whole new language and adapting to a very different culture.

The Somalian native has emerged as one of Arizona's top cross country runners in his first season at UA, but how he got here isn't the usual story that most other UA athletes tell.

In the late 1980's, Abdirahman's home country was experiencing severe economic and civil problems. Longtime Cold War dictator Siad Barre was attempting to put down a rebellion led by the leaders of several different clans.

"My father worked for a US company," Abdirahman said. "They got all of their employees out of Somalia (when the fighting started)."

Barre was ultimately ousted in 1991, and Somalia descended into a chaotic civil war. As American soldiers led a UN peacekeeping force into the country, Abdirahman's family was evacuated by his father's employer, an aircraft company, to the United States.

They came to Tucson in 1993.

"I'd always dreamed about coming to America," he said. "My father had been able to come here, and I'd seen all the pictures. I wanted to come myself for a long time."

Abdirahman started classes at Pima Community College in the spring of 1995.

"It was very difficult at first," Abdirahman said of his adjustment. "The language, the culture, everything was so different."

Abdirahman now speaks "near-perfect English," UA cross country head coach Dave Murray said. Abdirahman said that it wasn't too hard of a language to learn.

"No one was speaking Somalian here, so I just had to learn and learn fast," he said.

Soon after his arrival at Pima Abdirahman took up running for the first time in his life.

"No one in my close family was a runner," he said. "I had some cousins who ran, but not that much.

"Some of my friends here were running, and I just started, too. I did well, so I've kept at it."

Abdirahman went on to become one of the top-rated junior college runners in the country.

"He was the best overall distance runner in the Arizona junior college system," Murray said. "He had a lot of obstacles to overcome to get here."

Murray said that for Abdirahman to get into UA he had to meet the NCAA's Proposition 48 standards, which state that he had to have 48 transferable credit hours. Abdirahman also had to pass an English proficiency exam and he just went through the process of becoming an official U.S. citizen this year.

Abdirahman said that he wanted to transfer to UA because "I already knew everyone down here. I like the weather (to train in), I like the city and I heard a lot of good things about coach Murray."

Murray had a lot of good things to say about Abdirahman, too.

"He's a real delight to have on the team, and not just in terms of talent. He has a very positive attitude and he's very friendly and enthusiastic," Murray said.

Murray said that he expected Abdirahman to go out and do well in the Wildcats' first two meets of the season. Abdirahman did better than that.

He came in first at both meets, taking home the title at the Jammin' Invitational on Sept. 6 with a time of 24:58 and then won the Aztec Invitational last weekend with a time of 25:28.

"No, I was not surprised (winning both meets)," Abdirahman said. "I don't like to lose. I just believe in myself, and then I go out and do what I have to (to win)."

Abdirahman considers himself to be a team player, not focusing on just himself.

"If someone from our team beats me, I'm fine with that," he said. "If I win, he wins. If he wins, I win. As long as someone from another team doesn't beat me, I'm fine."

The first two meets of the season were considered "warm-up" meets by Murray.

"I'm anxious to see him meet up with all of the major college athletes in Montana," Murray said, referring to the Oct. 4 Mountain West Classic in Missoula. "He hasn't had great competition to run against so far, so I will be interesting to see how he fares against some of the nation's best."

Abdirahman feels confident going into the meet.

"I'll win anything," he said. "I'll do my best. I know the competition will be hard."

Abdirahman admitted that his success in running has inspired at least one family member to get into cross country.

"One of my brothers will be running at Tucson High this year," Abdirahman said.

He added that his other five siblings, four sisters and another brother, have not shown the desire to follow him out onto the course.

As for his future, Abdirahman said he plans to "continue running." He's set his sights on the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

"Right now, though, I just want to focus on getting my degree," he said.

Murray admires Abdirahman's priorities.

"He has the same attitude toward academics as he does toward cross country," Murray said. "That's what I think makes him as good as he is."