From Shepherd to Marathon Champion: Haftu Strintzos's Inspiring Journey

Australia's men's marathon record holder, Haftu Strintzos, has had a remarkable journey from his humble beginnings as a shepherd in eastern Tigray, northern Ethiopia, to becoming a champion athlete in Melbourne. Born in a remote community 2,300 metres above sea level, Haftu grew up standing barefoot in fields for hours, helping provide for his family from dawn to dusk.

"I feel as though I have lived a double life in a way," he said after celebrating his 27th birthday in Melbourne. "I consider myself very privileged to live this life."

Haftu spent his early days as a shepherd, herding goats and sheep through the mountains of his local village. He grew up without a TV or running water, and his only source of information until age 10 was a mobile phone.

After losing both biological parents by the time he was six, Haftu was taken in by his maternal grandmother, living with his aunt and cousins. His life took a dramatic turn in 2007 when a Greek Australian aid worker, Maria Strintzos, met him at the age of eight and later adopted him.

Maria, who had spent decades working across Ethiopia, helped Haftu migrate to Melbourne in 2011 — more than 12,000 kilometres from the mountains of Tigray. Today, Haftu speaks five languages and holds a Master of Electrical Engineering from Villanova University in the USA.

In July, Haftu broke the Australian men's marathon record in two hours, six minutes and 20 seconds at the Gold Coast Marathon. He became the first Australian winner in 20 years, smashed the course record and set a new Oceania record — all on his fourth attempt at the distance.

His coach, Adam Didyk, said Haftu's college experience and early development give him a strong understanding of racing, matched by mental strength. "He's a fairly no-fuss kind of individual. He'll just take the work and get it done," Didyk said.

Haftu's talent comes as a package, with physical ability, mental strength and calmness on race day all put together to make good decisions, ultimately leading to his record-breaking performance.

"My biggest challenges in assimilating to Australian culture were learning the English language and motion sickness while riding in cars," Haftu said. "I remember a time in my early days where the only way I would not throw up while Mum drove the car was if I sat in the front passenger seat and kept my eyes on the road in front."

Maria said she's most proud of how Haftu had risen above adversity in his life. "Where he's come from it was a rock hut, and they would sleep on the floor and the animals were next to them," she said.

Haftu's journey to becoming a marathon record holder began when his PE teacher at school encouraged him to pursue athletics after seeing him run a cross-country race at the school oval. "I have grown up through this sport and learned my most valuable life lessons through it," he said.