“I am an indoor champion, I am a world champion, but when it comes to the Olympics, I am a medalist, not a champion.” The mindset to become an Olympic champion is what Ethiopian track and field star Gudaf Tsegay lives with. Although Tsegay has a cabinet full of regional, national, and international accolades, she is constantly looking to improve. The 27-year-old’s husband and coach Hluf Yihdego has played a large role in helping the middle-distance runner develop this mindset.

Gudaf Tsegay and her husband Hluf Yihdego come from Ethiopia’s Tigray region. While you see the husband-wife duo chase history on the track it’s easy to forget the circumstances they come from. That’s because their life and the conflict that ravaged the country from 2020 to 2022, have shaped their unique relationship.

Hluf Yihdego and Gudaf Tsegay: Defeating hardship to reach glory

To say Gudaf Tsegay’s rise to establish herself as a world record holder and Olympic medalist was tough may be an understatement. Like many of Etheopia’s athletes, the 27-year-old and her husband came from framer families. Tsegay may not have even embarked on her athletics journey had she not showcased immense talent at a local and regional level. It was thanks to this innate talent for running that the Olympian and her husband were on a collision course.

Hluf Yihdego was a long-distance runner who also harbored Olympic dreams. The tractor of most Ethiopian athletes who rise to international fame goes through its capital Addis Ababa. Hluf Yihdego and Gudaf Tsegay were no different. Yihdego arrived in Addis Ababa a year before Tsegay arrived from Mekele. The long-distance runner joined a government club but struggled with injuries. It was during this time that their relationship blossomed.

Meanwhile, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist continued to make progress. So Hluf Yihdego decided to give up on his declining career and dedicated himself to helping his wife. Making the transition from athlete to coach is never easy, but the 27-year-old’s talent and their deep connection made it a smooth transition. “There’s a lot more you have to focus on and think about when there are more athletes than just yourself,” Yihdego told WorldAthlettics.com in 2021.

However, as the husband and wife duo vied to make history in track and field, their country faced a civil war that started in November 2020. Yet, under Yihdego’s coaching, the couple managed to stay away from the conflict and participate in international events. In February 2021, Gudaf Tsegay broke the 1500m world record with a time of 3:53.09s. In June she earned an Olympic bronze medal. That same year in December, the government forces took away Yihdego for an entire day.

However, despite these hardships, the husband-wife duo’s love for one another is defined by their mutual support. At the 2022 World Championships, it was Gudaf Tsegay’s husband who pushed the athlete to break the outdoor world record in 10,000m. While Kenyan track star Beatrice Chebet accomplished the feat instead, the Ethiopian achieved a new personal best. Although Hluf Yihdego has helped his wife achieve greatness, his experience as an athlete has granted the coach unique insights.

Hluf Yihdego’s track and field career

Not much is known about Hluf Yihdego’s origins or local and regional career. However, the athlete’s first recorded international event was the 2009 Arezzo Half Marathon in October where he placed 12th. At the 2009 San Sebastian Marathon in Spain, Gudaf Tsegay’s coach finished 12th. he raced to more time in Eindhoven (2013) and Dubai (2014), finishing 20th and 25th respectively.

While Hluf Yihdego’s career in long-distance running isn’t anything to write home about, it gave him valuable experience. Over the years he put that experience to good use leading his wife to the grandest stage of them all. Today, the couple are preparing to chase history once again at the Paris Olympics.

“He is my husband at home and coach in the field. He helped me a lot when I was sad, he was right by my side,” the middle-distance runner told BBC Sports Africa in 2023. No matter what happens in Paris, Gudaf Tsegay and Hluf Yihdego’s story is already one where love and resilience overcame hardships.