10 Reasons To Cheer On Robel Teklemariam At The Olympics

When I tell people that I am cheering on and supporting a 35 year old cross country skier from Ethiopia at the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympics, their first reaction is that they think I'm making up a story. When they find out that I'm not, they wonder why I would support such an obscure athlete. Here are 10 reasons why you should consider cheering on Robel Teklemariam at the Vancouver Olympic games:

10. It's always more fun to root for the underdog.

9. Because it's always good to know some Olympic trivia that nobody else in the room does.

8. You have to love an Olympic athlete who states one of his goals is "making sure I am not the last Ethiopian to compete in the Winter Olympics."

7. When you carry in the Ethiopian flag to any of the Olympic parties you attend, you know that everyone will want to talk with you.

6. The hair.



5. How can you not want to support an athlete that is not competing for himself, but for the next generation of kids who he hopes to inspire.

4. With national colors like that, there will be no problem distinguishing him from the other cross country racers.

3. Nobody will ever claim that you are a trend follower again.

2. Because he still competes even though he has to carry his equipment on his own and travel by train to make it to the races.



And the number one reason you should be supporting Robel Teklemariam at the Olympics is:

1. Because you won't only be cheering for one athlete, but you'll be cheering for an entire nation.