Diane Nukuri was only 15 when she left her village in Burundi to compete in the Sydney Olympics. Her experience there solidified an idea that she had been considering since she began traveling for races. After winning the bronze medal in the 10,000m at the Francophone Games in Canada the following year, she remained in the country and was granted asylum from her war-torn country. Since then she’s gone on to two more Olympics, top 8 finishes in three major marathons, and has set the Burundian National Records for distances from 1,500m to the marathon.

Key to her success, not only in racing but in life, is her willingness to embrace change and to try new things.

For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode346.

Photo credit: Kevin Morris

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