Olympia Altitude Training Center organized a distance running event in the villages high up in the mountains and called upon the youth to come and run. Most of them turned up barefoot and in a pair of old running shorts and a vest and lined up with great eagerness to compete. About 100 young people participated and the first three boys and first three girls were selected to go to Addis Ababa, all expenses paid for three years, and live in the Olympia Altitude Training Center, which is home to International Athletes. Here the youths are trained in running and are provided full board and accommodation together with full coaching provided by some of the best of Ethiopian Coaches.

The dream for these selected athletes is to run all across the world in major international races and to win money from their efforts. In the meantime, as they grow and prepare, Olympia supports and sponsors them towards achieving their dream.

Poor No More! Is about helping these youngster to achieve their own dream and to inspire others towards having similar dreams. It’s all about showing the humble villager that he or she can have a global running career. In this highly athletic world that we live in, it is all about giving them the chances before they have proved themselves and encouraging them and supporting them to become the greats of the future.

The next phase of Poor No More! Which will be launched in the summer of 2010, is to provide education to the youths. As the program grows to take in more young people they will be entered into formal education channels which will ensure their future prospects of being employable are strong.

Olympia Altitude Training Center believes in development of the local community within the community as well as presenting the finest athletes on the international stage.