Ibrahim Ahmed returns home
Ibrahim Ahmed’s coaching journey has taken him from the heat to the cold.
Bundled up in a parka on a frosty March morning at the Niagara Olympic Club, Ibrahim Ahmed is getting used to the Canadian climate once again after recently returning from a three-year stint in the Republic of Somaliland, located in the Horn of Africa.
The 32-year-old St, Catharines resident was in Africa where he started a running program at a boarding school in the country where his parents are from.
“It is located in a very tough part of the world that is experiencing climate crisis, food deficiency and active conflicts but Somaliland is very safe — at least when I was there” Ahmed said of the semi-autonomous, self-declared independent nation. “I always wanted to go back in some capacity and ideally I didn’t want to go there and vacation. During the COVID era, I decided it was a good a time as any to make a bit of a life change and switch from corporate accounting to helping out and trying to start something there.”
It was a perspective-altering experience for the former scholarship runner at Southern Utah University and Florida State University.
“Absolutely. I hadn’t ever had a break from the time I started school to that point so it was a good little break to see a different side of the world, experience different things and coach young kids to try and get opportunities to better their lives and get a better education. I got the foundation started and the program was in a pretty good place.”
He enjoyed his time at the Abaarso School of Science and Technology but his motivation to return to Canada was simple.
“I couldn’t do that forever.”
He returned to Canada, resumed his career as an accountant and decided to help coach at the Niagara Olympic Club.
“It’s a life change, It is a completely different pace but it’s good. It is what I studied in school,” said the brother of Olympic silver medalist Moh Ahmed.
Ibrahim brings a wealth of running experience to the Niagara Olympic Club where his successes included winning the 2012 Athletics Ontario Junior Cross Country gold medal, earning a silver medal at the outdoor Athletics Ontario Youth 3000 metres and representing Canada at the 2012 World Junior Athletics Championships.
“Making the national championship was huge because I was a new immigrant at that point and it was awesome to represent the country that gave me an opportunity.”
After graduating from Saint Francis, he headed to Southern Utah University where he got a chance to train with NCAA champion and Canadian Cam Levins, who later became a three-time Olympian.
“I had an opportunity to live with him and see and how he trained. I thought that was too good to pass up because I was all in on running at that point.”
Within eight weeks of arriving in Utah, Ahmed suffered a collapsed lung during training and that set his running career back for about a year and a half. When he recovered, he helped Southern Utah make the NCAA championships for the first-time ever. At university, he was an All-region and All-conference performer.
His desire to coach at the Niagara Olympic Club was sparked by his experiences in Africa.
“I really enjoyed coaching in Somaliland. I saw what a life-changing opportunity running could be for young people, teaching them important skills like delayed gratification and understanding the importance of consistent work and what that yields. They were able to get scholarships to some of the best schools in the United States.”
It is also a chance for Ahmed to give back.
“I want to help the program that gave me all the opportunities that I had. The club has produced Olympic medalists, so many Canadian team members when I was part of the club and helped so many kids get a free education south of the border. It is a community and a family and when you leave you want to pour back into that.”
At the NOC, he is working with the distance runners.
“I am sharing my advice and experiences and trying to help out to the extent that I can.”
Ahmed describes his style of coaching as not very rah-rah.
“I give advice the best way that I can and support them. I listen to the feedback from the athlete, try to encourage them and hold them accountable during workouts.”
He is having a great time coaching.
“It has been a good experience.”
Niagara Olympic Club president Sharon Stewart is delighted to have Ahmed back in the fold.
“He has come back to coach and it is awesome. He brings experience as an athlete and experience as a coach,” she said. “The combination of those two things is the perfect storm for the athletes. He is very dialled in on the athletes. He is right in there with monitoring their progress and motivation.”
