Some distance runners run seemingly without effort, others run like they are in constant pain. Ambo Bati ran like he was flirting with a strange combination of the two. His stride was long and loping and while his body motion was herky-jerky, his head never showed a hint of wobbling. He was, it seemed, always in control. His face would show a sneer, but it was never clear whether that was from intense concentration, extreme pain, or the burden of growing up as a member of the repressed Oromo tribe in Ethiopia.
One thing was very clear. Ambo Bati ran very fast. He piled up accolade after accolade during his career, which spanned a five year window from 1993 until his graduation in 1998. His achievements on the track and cross country course alone would be enough to garner attention. His life story, however, put everything in perspective and made his saga one of the most compelling in the annals of Augustana athletics.
His large family belonged to the Oromo ethnic group in Ethiopia, which made up half the population of the dry, sun-baked nation. His father, Ayele, was the leader of a guerrilla faction known as the Oromo Liberation Front (O.L.F.) which fought for independence of the Oromian people. His older brother, Yosafe, was imprisoned for 10 years for his work as an activist for the O.L.F. Yosafe finally was released from prison but in 1992 was taken captive in the streets of Addis Aleba and has not been seen or heard from since.
The memory of his brother might have been the hint of pain that was etched on Ambo’s face when he ran.
“My brother always said, ‘I will die for what I believe in,’” said Ambo near the end of his Augustana career. “Those words give me strength to continue my own battles.”
Wherever the strength came from, Bati made great use of it. During his career at Augustana he earned NCAA Division III All-American honors three times in cross country and 11 times in track & field. He won a total of five individual national titles, starting with the 5000 meters in the 1995 indoor national meet in a time of 14:35.46. He added the outdoor 1500 crown later that spring with a time of 3:55.84. In 1996 he won the indoor 5000 in 14:21.52 and in the outdoor meet of 1996 he put on quite a show. He won the 10,000 in 29:49.60 and the 5000 in 14:30.93. Less than 30 minutes after finishing the 5000 he was back on the track again for the 1500 final. He placed fourth in that event with a time of 3:54.10.
During the 1996 cross country season, Bati was undefeated heading into the national meet. He had been 14th in the nation as a sophomore in 1994 and was third in 1995. He was the heavy favorite to win the 1996 title and the race was hosted by Augustana at Highland Springs Golf Course in Rock Island. Inexplicably, Bati had an off-day. Not a bad race, mind you, but an off-day and the result was a fourth place finish which had to be a huge disappointment to him. It certainly was a shock to all associated with the Viking program.
However, in defeat, Bati showed a special grace and class. At the awards banquet he did not sulk or hang his head. When his name was called to receive his fourth place award, he bounded to the podium and stood proud with the other All-American recipients. It was typical Ambo, taking things in stride despite the great disappointment.
He would be tested severely in the next year when a gruesome injury threatened all that he had worked for. It was in February of 1997 at an indoor meet at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois when he was running in an 800 meter race. He became entangled with another runner and went down in a heap, suffering a compound fracture of the femur in his right leg. Yet, as he lay sprawled on the track, his thought was not of the intense pain shooting through his body. Instead, his first words to his coach, Dr. Paul Olsen, were, “What happened to my goals.” It was not a question – simply a statement.
Instead of preparing for a storybook ending to his senior season, Bati was starting on the long road back to recovery. He approached it as he faced every challenge in his life – with determination, focus and a positive outlook. He willed himself back and in the spring of 1998 he finished his Augustana career by placing second in the 5000 at the outdoor national meet in a time of 14:41.
It was a fitting end for a young man who had seen so much and endured so much in his life. He would leave Augustana as a four time team MVP in cross country and a two time winner in track & field. He still owns school records in the 5000 (14:21.52) and mile (4:04.1) and he won a total of 10 individual conference titles in track & field. In 1996 he won the 1500, 5000 and 10,000 at the CCIW meet and was named the “Most Outstanding Performer”.
His legacy, however, will not be the honors, awards, accolades or school records. Instead, it will be the perseverance and willingness to overcome every obstacle placed in his path.
