Austinist Interview: Runner, Coach, and Author Gilbert Tuhabonye
On October 20, 1993, Gilbert Tuhabonye was on the verge of a bright future. A student leader and a top-ranked high school runner in his home country of Burundi, Tuhabonye looked forward to coming to the United States to attend university on a running scholarship, and it seemed that the only thing standing in the way of his dream was a particularly tough chemistry teacher. Twenty-four hours later, his world was turned upside down and those dreams seemed to have gone up in the flames that killed his classmates and scarred his own skin.
Tuhabonye was the sole survivor of a horrifying massacre, part of the genocide that engulfed Burundi in the fall of 1993. In This Voice in My Heart, Tuhabonye describes his ordeal and his recovery in vivid---and often chilling---detail.
Tuhabonye did eventually realize his dream of coming to the United States, and he now lives in Austin, where he continues to train as a competitive runner and coaches others to find joy in running. Austinist spoke with Tuhabonye about his book, the most recent addition to his family, and the 2008 Olympics.
Why did you decide to write this book?
I had never dreamed about writing a book. I mean never. I was inspired by the interest that Paul Carrozza at RunTex took in my story. And then there was lots of local attention to it, with the newspapers and Texas Monthly magazine and other places. And these stories brought it to the attention of HarperCollins.
Many, many people took an interest in my story and helped me to share it and inspired me to write this book.
How do you feel about having written it?
Because of the book, I’ve been able to go to places that I’ve never been, and I’ve been able to express my experience and what I went through and what made me who I am. I am able to speak about Burundi.
No one talks about Burundi. They always talk about Sudan and Rwanda. So the book will be a good way to put Burundi on the map and let people know what is going on there. There are still problems in Burundi. They are still fighting.
You’re right. Most people don’t talk about Burundi. What is the situation there?
The problem in Burundi is between the two tribes---the Hutus and Tutsis---and it’s a complicated situation because they are fighting over power. They are still killing each other.
But we don’t really hear about that at all. As you said, we hear about Sudan and Rwanda. Other than your book, there’s been almost nothing about the genocide in Burundi.
That’s one of the things, to me, that doesn’t look like it’s fair. It looks like the [United Nations] is sleeping. What happened in Burundi was just as bad as what happened in Rwanda. But I don’t see anything happening to help the people in Burundi. I just hope that the book will help and that someone will help Burundi. Burundi really needs help. The people are really suffering. It’s exasperating because no one asks about Burundi. Even when I speak about my experience at places, people ask about Rwanda. It’s very frustrating.
You write in the book that you can’t return to Burundi out of fear for your life.
I have no desire to go home because I will be killed. I will be killed the same day that I go. I am afraid because the people who tried to kill me before are still there and are still in power. When I went there before [Tuhabonye visited Burundi in 1999], I was in hiding, staying at different houses every night and hiding from the people who want to hurt me. I don’t want to live in that way. It’s just not right.
But your family is still there.
Yes. I lost my dad. The thing that happened was all over the country. Where I come from is kind of safe, but this thing is happening all over so it may be there, too. But my mom and my two sisters and my one brother are still there. Me, my cousin, my wife, and my children are the only ones here.
It’s so hard everyday. You wake up and you say a prayer that you won’t open the mail and find out that someone you know has been killed. It’s very difficult.
What brought you to Austin?
God has a way with these things. I was in Abilene, Texas, and I was looking for a place to go. Paul Carrozza at RunTex offered me a job, so I came.
Being here is like being home. It’s a second home for me. I love it. I get great support from the people here in Austin. It was the help of Paul, but also the hand of God to place me here.
Since coming to Austin, Tuhabonye has become a celebrity in the running community, both for his running and for his coaching.
Tell us about Gilbert’s Gazelles.
It’s a training group for all levels, from beginner to elite. I started in 2002 with three women. They approached me to help them with running. Because I helped them to run well, they called others, and the next month, I had 22 people. I originally wanted to call the group “Gilbert’s Girls,” but Paul said, “You’re from Africa. How about gazelles?”
Now I have about 300 members a month. It’s a great opportunity for me to teach about running. But it’s not just about running; it’s about sharing love and motivation. We sing while we run; we stretch together. It’s a great, fun group to be in.
The other thing with it was that I wanted to show that when you have great form, running becomes a joy. But you can’t do that without love for the people. So that’s number one: Love the people and open up communication.
People get intimidated by my group because they see me and think it’s all fast runners. But it’s runners from all levels. And when you motivate someone and show them good form, they can go from a beginner running an 11-minute mile to running 8-minute miles.
You’re also involved in Austin MarathonKids.
That’s a great thing, also. When I first moved here, Paul thought that because I had a different background and a great story, it would be good if I could go around to the schools to motivate the kids and talk to them about how I started running. And I love kids. Kids are our future. And if you start enjoying the sport young, it’s easier to get into than if you wait. And to be able to associate with children in this way is a good opportunity for me to motivate them to dream and to aim high.
Speaking of kids, you and your wife just welcomed your second daughter.
Yes, Grace. We named her Grace because if you think about what happened to me and what I came from, to have a healthy child is really a blessing.
Are you training for the 2008 Olympics?
That’s my goal. A lot of people are like, “You have to make it to the Olympics.” But God has a plan for me. If it’s meant for me to go to the Olympics, then I’ll go. If not, God has another plan. I’m going to try my best and I’m going to work hard, but God has a plan.
I tried in 2004, but I didn’t make it. So this time, I’m going to correct my mistakes and I’m starting to train now so that I’m ready by 2007.
For which event?
Marathon. I am a marathon freak.
You ran the Freescale Austin Marathon this year. How was that?
It was bad because it was so cold. I don’t handle cold very well. And I was in the middle of promoting the book and my wife was pregnant. But with very minimal training I was able to do well. [Tuhabonye was the top Austin finisher in 2 hours, 24 minutes.]
For more information on the book and training with Gilbert Tuhabonye, visit his Web site at GilbertsGazelles.com.
For more information on the situation in Burundi, visit Amnesty International to read its most recent report.
