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University of Guelph release - used with permission

The University of Guelph is thrilled to announce the commitment of Yves Sikubwabo to their cross country and track and field teams. Widely regarded as one of the top recruits in North America, Sikubwabo joins a Gryphon squad fresh off it’s sixth consecutive CIS Cross Country title and a runner-up finish at the CIS Track and Field Championships.

Sikubwabo’s journey to Guelph was a harrowing one that began in his native Rwanda when he was orphaned before his second birthday. Threats to Yves continued throughout his life. As Sikubwabo told “Your Ottawa Region” paper ““It’s not every day, but each month or twice a month, they’d come around,” Sikubwabo says in his second language, French (his native tongue is Kinyarwandan). “It’s something you learn to live through. But I’d still think that one day it could become a much bigger problem again.”” After coming to Canada for the 2010 World Junior Track and Field Championships, the at-the-time 16 year old spoke to an Aunt back home who told him to stay. Penniless,with nothing but the clothes on his back, and speaking no English, Sikubwabo moved to the nation’s capital to start a new life.

He was eventually connected to Canadian Junior mile and 3000m record-holder Mike Woods. Woods and a group of runners in the Ottawa area helped Sikubwabo get settled and enrolled at Glebe Collegiate. The youngster set the Ontario High School scene on fire, winning the Ontario High School Championships in cross country. His story caught the attention of the Ottawa media; one of the many interested in Sikubwabo’s story was Nicole Le Saux who read the story and invited Sikubwabo over for dinner. As she told Canadian Running last year “You can tell immediately he (Yves) is a wonderful person, intelligent and kind, so between dinner and dessert, my husband, Jim, and I conferred in the kitchen and then went out and asked him to come live with us.”” Sikubwabo moved in and quickly began excelling in school. Along the way he continued to win Ontario High School Championships, dominating the 1500 and 3000 metre events on the track and breaking his mentor Woods’ records in the process.

Last fall, Sikubwabo defend his Ontario High School Championships in his new hometown of Ottawa. The following weekend, he and Nicole and Jim headed to Quebec City where theCanadian University Cross Country Championships were being held. After the meet they sought out Dave Scott-Thomas, Head Cross Country coach of the Guelph Gryphons who recalls “We’d been aware of Yves for some time, due to his stunning race results. Our team had just delivered a brilliant performance on the course, and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, there he was, standing in the snow and hoping to chat. The vibe was terrific.” Sikubwabo then headed to Vancouver for the Canadian Junior National Championships, where he finished second in the muddy conditions, two spots ahead of future teammate and CIS Rookie Of The Year Aaron Hendrikx. He visited Guelph during the winter and took part in a workout with Olympians Reid Coolsaet, Eric Gillis and Taylor Milne. The youngster held his own in the session along Guelph’s famous Cooks Mill Rd and felt at home amongst Canada’s greatest collection of distance runners, commenting “It feels like a group of brothers.” After returning home to Ottawa he decided that Guelph was the place to pursue his collegiate education and running dreams.

“Obviously we’re thrilled to have someone of Yves’ calibre join our team,” says Scott-Thomas, “but his story connects at a much deeper level, and I am grateful that he has chosen to include us in that journey. I have no doubt that Yves will become one of the great athletes of the Gryphons and of Canada, and I’ll be equally proud to see him collect his degree and continue to grow in life. This has been an uplifting collaboration amongst many people: Nicole, Jim, and their children as Yves new family, and Mike, as coach, have shown tremendous caring and guidance and I feel a great deal of respect and loyalty to them all. They are part of our team.”

As a landed immigrant Sikubwabo has already begun the process towards Canadian Citizenship. His goal is to represent his new land in the Olympic Games. In his new home mentors who have competed at that level and many others reaching for it will surround him. The future is extremely bright for a young man whose life began with such hardship.

SOURCE PAPER http://www.yourottawaregion.com/print/897675

http://runningmagazine.ca/2011/11/sections/feature/refugees-on-the-run/