Tachluwini Gabriyesos, known affectionately as Louie, grew up in Eritrea. Fearful of being conscripted into the Eritrean army, he escaped from the country and crossed Sudan and the Sinai desert into Israel.
“When I saw the blue and white Israeli flag, I knew I was safe,” he said.
Louie was sent to Hadassah Neurim to complete his schooling. Despite the fact that Louie had never been an athlete before, the Neurim coach encouraged him to become a competitive runner. He started winning medals and dreamt of competing in the Olympics.
This year Louie’s dream materialized. Watch the video and hear Louie describe what it was like to participate in the Tokyo Olympics and how much it meant to him.