ATHENS, Ohio, Feb. 17 -- What does it mean to become a citizen of a country? Does that mean you would fight for that country? Does that mean you would respect that country as if it were your own? After switching citizenship some may still feel tied to their native country. But that's not possible if you’re representing the land you now call home on the international stage.

Elvan Abeylegesse, born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, came to Turkey in 1999 when she was only 16 years old. According to her agent Salih Munir Yaras, she was competing for Ethiopia in a cross country event. After visiting Turkey, she fell in love with the country, which also offered better training facilities and a greater opportunity to improve her skills.

After gaining Turkish citizenship, many Ethiopians were angry.

According to Yaras, after she broke the world record, Ethiopians made it difficult for her to train at her usual Ethiopian camps because they felt abandoned. “Ethiopia is only in the view of the world because of runners and so they would be upset that other countries like Turkey are getting more of their publicity,” said Ethiopian native Netsanet Amderber Clemm, who now lives in Clarksburg, WV.

Abeylegesse exclaims, “My country is Turkey… but that does not mean I totally ignore the country that I was born in.” Recognizing her dedication and love for his country, the Prime Minister of Turkey became involved with her case. He spoke with various officials while visiting Ethiopia’s Prime Minister. From that moment on, Abeylegesse has returned to the training camps in Ethiopia and maintained good relations with the authorities and individual runners as well.

Although Abeylegesse actively trains in Ethiopia during the winter, she considers herself a Turk just like any other native, and feels excited when the Turkish flag raised high before a race. Since moving to Turkey and obtaining Yaras as an agent in 2007, Abeylegesse has received the silver medal in the 10,000m in Osaka, Japan during the World Championships. She also won two more silver medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

“It’s a fascinating feeling to win two Olympic silver medals and run below 30 minutes. It was an emotional rush for me to pass (Meseret) Defar in the 5,000m after running a 10,000m and also becoming the first person to achieve this in Turkey." Abeylegesse says. "I consider this as payment for the debt to all of the people that helped me by providing all of those opportunities for me.”

The citizens of Turkey reciprocate the feeling. Yusuf Ziya Unal, a sports enthusiast from Istanbul, explained his loyalty and love for her and said, “I feel as if she is my elder sister like another Turkish citizen, and I am proud of her!”

With a great deal of support from citizens, coaches and mentors alike, she still faces challenges for the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London. She changed her trainer in 2009 and has not had a major year for except a 10,000m gold medal in the Mediterranean Games.

At the end of the sport year, she was married and soon had a baby girl, Arsema. She only started serious training, for the London Olympic Games, recently in mid-December. She received help from her mother during the first four months after Arsema’s birth. Her parents still visit two to three times a year and her sister lives and works in Istanbul. With help from her family from Ethiopia and her husband in Istanbul, she is able to stick with her training schedule.

With two Olympic medals, athletes do not always maintain their humility; but this was never a question with Abeylegesse. According to Yaras, who finds humor in the story, in Berlin Abeylegesse lent her shoes to a fellow athlete and Ethiopian, Meselech Melkamu, who'd left hers at the hotel. Melkamu was nervous to wear a different brand because her current sponsor might get angry. Finally Abeylegesse convinced her of what was most important – the race! Melkamu went on to win second place. “She has Turkish heart, she proved that when she lent her shoes in Berlin,” said Unal. From then on, she’s gained credibility and appreciation around the world.

With a wide range of success, Abeylegesse is a natural athlete who loves and appreciates running as if it were an art. She described it and said, “The feeling of the wind passing through my hair is an overwhelming experience. For me, running is liberty, competition, strength and the joyfulness after all."

Her fans can be found in all over the globe. Burak Pekmezci, originally from Istanbul but studying in Italy, said, “I can say that I am proud of her as a Turkish runner, and I will always support her as an athlete. I would like to use the following phrase from Atatürk, who is a founder of Republic of Turkey. He said ‘How happy is the one who says I am Turk.’'

While an athlete may represent a nation other than the land of their birth, to be a winner like Abeylegesse, they must also have pride in their adopted country.