Running For His Life By Michael Hall Summary

In the article, “Running for His Life,” the journalist Michael Hall shares a dramatic story of Gilbert Tuhabonye, who was a runner and a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide. Michael Hall narrates Tuhabonye’s horrendous story about how as a kid, him and thousands of other students at Kibimba School in Burundi at three in the morning some of the students were either beaten or burned alive by friends or relatives that they knew. This was between the Hutu mob and Tutsi. In order for him to not suffer from the pain he wanted to kill himself. However, he heard a voice saying, “You don’t want to die. Don’t do that.” He escaped by breaking through windows because he wanted his friends and family to identify his body. He jumped in the darkness, but no one saw him. His health was

not in a good condition for him to start running. Later in his lifetime, he crossed the finish line at Capitol 10,000 in Austin hundreds of people clapping for him and calling out his name. Gilbert is a celebrity in Austin. His of the most popular running coaches in his town. For most of Gilbert’s students they saw him as a hero because of what he has gone through in his life. A man having a last name such as Tuhabonye is too good to be true. Gilbert was physically damaged by his childhood sufferings. With his busy schedule he almost never has times for Triph and Emma. His agent saying that he hasn’t seen a guy doubting himself as much as Gilbert (601-604).
I believe that during the genocide Gilbert Tubabonye’s thoughts were ways to survive.

In the first place, Hall notes that Tubabonye says, “After a while it started falling on me, and I held up my right arm as it came down, trying to pull bodies over me” (601). This quotation shows that he was using the bodies as shelter to protect his head from the fire. His at a bad time in his life that he wants to commit suicide. He was so confused that he was hearing other people telling him to not kill himself. Second, Hall states that Tubabanye thinks, “I grabbed a bone—it was hot in my hands- and used it to break the bar on the window” (602). This quotation shows that Tubabanye is trying to escape. He doesn’t want to die like everyone else. He heard voices telling him to get out so he grabbed one of the bodies bone that was next to him. This strategy that he used helped him survive. Finally, Hall remarks that Tubabanye believes, “I wanted to be identifiable” (602). This quotation shows that he did not want to ashes to be left by him like everybody else. He wanted his body to be recognized by his parents to know that he passed away; instead of seeing ashes on the floor. Tubabanye was finding ways to stay

alive.
Furthermore, I believe that Gilbert Tuhabonye’s greatest challenges in his new life are overcoming his physically tired. First, Hall says, “They get tired” (603). This quotation shows that his day begins at five in the morning which includes coaching, running an average of twenty miles a day, and selling shoes all day. He has a busy schedule and not enough time to spend to himself. Also, Hall recounts a statement by his agent, “Before a race, I tell him he’s done the work; he knows the strategy; he’s got the speed; he’s got the strength. He just has to not let the negative talk in his head get to him” (603). This quotation shows that Tuhabonye lets other people’s opinion get to him. He should not care what others say or think of him. He needs to put himself first and to tell himself that he’s better than everyone else. Last, Hall adds, “He got to refocus on himself, says Carrozza” (603). This quotation shows that his body isn’t keeping up with his busy schedule. He was more focused on the students coaching then he was trying to make himself a better runner. He need to balance out his coaching and his training.