On a beautiful Tuesday evening, the Eindhoven athletics club hosted a training session under the sunny skies, where young athletes aspired to follow in the footsteps of their most famous member, Sifan Hassan, a double Olympic champion.
It was here, over a decade ago, that Hassan, a young asylum-seeker from Ethiopia, began her journey that ultimately led to her historic achievements at the Tokyo Olympics and positioned her as a top contender for medals in Paris.
"We immediately recognized her talent. Even a blind horse could see she would be a good runner," said Ad Peeters, the president of the Eindhoven Atletiek coaching team.
Peeters, who was also a middle-distance runner and competed with Hassan in the early days, explained that her first appearance was a result of pure chance and slightly comical circumstances.
She accompanied a friend to represent the club at a nearby 1,000m race - and made the spontaneous decision to participate.
"But 1,000 meters is two and a half laps of the track. They hadn't realized that, so they actually tried to finish at the starting line," chuckled Peeters, 58.
"That's how we first met her. Even then, we could see she had potential as an athlete, although she wasn't a runner at that point," Peeters shared with AFP. One of Hassan's favorite sayings, derived from the Koran, is "with hardship comes ease", and her early years were far from simple.
Hailing from Adama, located southeast of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, she was brought up on a farm by her mother and grandmother.
At the age of 15, she made the decision to move to the Netherlands - a choice she has never elaborated on.
Initially placed in a facility for underage asylum-seekers in Zuidlaren, in the north of the Netherlands.
She shared with De Volkskrant daily that she shed tears there every single day.
"I felt like a flower deprived of sunlight," she expressed.
Upon her arrival in Eindhoven to pursue a nursing course, she connected with fellow Ethiopians, some of whom were part of the local athletics club.
'In one piece' - She needed time to "de-ice," as Peeters described her, portraying her as a "reserved girl" overshadowed by more established Ethiopian runners.
Hassan herself has recounted pushing herself so hard in training "that my leg was bleeding," but Peeters recalls a slightly different version of events.
"I don't believe she was lazy, but sometimes it was a challenge to ensure she arrived on time for training," he reminisced with a smile.
"She hadn't yet developed the discipline required for training. However, I don't want to underestimate the difficulties of being here as a young person, a 17-year-old girl, feeling lonely and uncertain about your future," Peeters reflected.
The club played a crucial role in honing her skills. She displayed a natural talent for running, although the coach noted that "her legs and arms were going everywhere."
Peeters emphasized that the club's support extended beyond the track, especially in guiding her through life as a teenage asylum-seeker. "We ensured she made the right choices, both in training and in her personal life. We provided transportation to training, accompanied her to competitions, and prioritized her safety," he explained.
"We essentially kept her on the right path." Her progress was rapid, leading to the acquisition of a Dutch passport. Recognizing her potential, Dutch athletics coaches recommended her for the prestigious Olympic training center in Papendal.
The rest is now part of history: she made history at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 by becoming the first athlete to secure medals (two gold, one bronze) in the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m events. Despite her international success, her ties to Eindhoven remained strong, according to Peeters.
The club provided financial support at the beginning of her career, and she frequently came back for training.
Peeters manages her fan mail, while Hassan continues to be a member of the club even though she lives and trains in the United States.
Despite the Netherlands playing in a European Championship match, Peeters still supervised numerous athletes of all ages at his training sessions.
He mentioned that training never stops, but he did acknowledge that the club would gather at the bar to support their renowned former member in Paris.
