Intro

Hello, my name is Daniel Abraham Gebru, reigning Paralympic cycling champion for the Netherlands, but my roots are in Eritrea. Currently, I am mentoring young refugees in the Netherlands and trying to inspire them by showing them how sports can help them integrate in the Netherlands. In addition, I am working hard towards my goal of successfully defending my Olympic title later this year. I am happy to share my experiences, highs and lows with you on the road to Tokyo 2021!

---

Episode #1

So here we go, Episode#1 of the Daniel Chronicles. Thanks for joining me on my road to Tokyo. I’ll try to make it as exciting for you as it is for me!

Let me first take you back to my roots, Eritrea. Many of you most likely don’t know that cycling is embedded in the culture of Eritrea. Being a former colony of Italy, Eritrea has inherited the love for cycling and it’s one of the very few countries in the world where cycling is the number 1 sport. Add to that the fact that the capital is located at high altitude + the physiology of the Eritreans and you have the right ingredients for raising super talented cyclists. The Italians are probably still frustrated by the fact that they were beaten so many times, ha! The name of one of the most talented cyclists of the recent years from Eritrea does ring a bell probably. Teklehaimanot was the first African to wear the Polka Dot Jersey in the Tour de France (2015), racing for MTN Qhubeka.

Photo credits: Mathilde Dusol

Growing up in a country where cycling is so popular, also meant for me that I fell in love with the sport, but the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea changed everything in my life. Living in Ethiopia at that moment and with my parents being arrested, I had no other option than to flee the country. There I was, stranded on an airport in the Netherlands, 15 years old, no passport and no money.... I ended up in one of the refugee shelters and since I didn’t have a passport, it was impossible to obtain a permit. So what do you do when you have time enough after your Dutch lessons and there’s nothing else that you can do? Yes, you go out cycling! And that’s what I did.... For as long and far as I could. It was not only a way for me to kill the time and boredom, but also a way to cope with all the frustrations. Later on I was able to join one of the local cycling clubs and I started to notice that it was relatively easy for me to compete with the riders of the same age, but also with most of the adult riders. This was fun! And it also helped me accepting and appreciating the situation in which I ended up. I stopped looking back and started to focus on the road ahead. Not knowing what wonderful things would come my way of course.....

Stay tuned for Episode #2 of The Daniel Chronicles

---

Daniel's favourites