Running for his Life
I believe that Michael Hall, the reporter of this story, is most impressed by the manner in which Gilbert escaped from death. Gilbert has an amazing story of his account of the Genocide, and the escape from the fire is the climax. It is impressive how he became a survivor, and the reader cannot help but feel inspired. From the account of jumping through the window and running while, on fire, it is clear that Gilbert was meant to live through the experience. Michael reports, “He jumped.his back was on fire, his legs were smoking, and his feet were raw with pain. He ran.” The sentiment is also impressive because that was the inspiration that made him the great runner that he was today. It is impressive how the athlete rose from the trauma of the Genocide and his escape to become celebrated. In addition, Michael reports, “My thinking was, I wanted to kill myself. I wanted to be identifiable. I wanted my parents to know me.” The quotation highlights the second impressive thing emanates from Gilbert’s desire to kill himself as opposed to dying from the fire. The paradox of how his desire to kill himself led to his survival is truly amazing. I do not think that he survived by mere coincidence but that he was meant to. The determination that Gilbert had to die in an honorable way showcases the kind of person he is. From the manner in which Gilbert tells the Genocide events, the reader can sense the emotional burden that he endured. The tone used is melancholic, which depicts the pain in recounting his story. Thirdly, Michal reports, “He had used some of the corpses to cover. To keep from being hit by the fiery branches tossed in by the Hutu mob from outside.” The quotation shows how zealous Gilbert was in his effort to survive. The whole process of how he made it through the ordeal is astounding.
Furthermore, Gilbert is still facing challenges in his life today that he has to learn to surpass. To begin with, Hall says,” Gilbert took off his shirt to change. Though Jeff had seen them before, he could not take his eyes off the scars on Gilbert’s back.” From the quotation that reference to the scars of the burn, we can infer that Gilbert faces the challenge of seeing those scars on a daily basis. The scars remind him of the time that life-changing day. Jeff had not lived through the ordeal, but he could not help overlooking. That only meant that Gilbert faced a double task of forgetting that the scars exist because they subsequently reminded him of the Burundi Genocide. It is a challenge since those are painful memories. Next, Michael notes, “As unbelievable as it may seem to his students, sometimes he doubts himself.” To this extent, the quotation showcases that Gilbert has the challenge of self-doubt. He doubts himself because he meets runners who are evidently better than himself. Self-doubt is a challenge for Gilbert because it reduces his morale, and at the end of the day, his performance in the races. His trainer observed that he would be the greatest if he learned to think like Mohammed Ali. Finally, Michael observes, “Carroza wants to push him to further and have him train with other athletes. The problem, according to Carroza, is that he has been running at slower paces with his students.” The quotation highlights the challenge that Gilbert has in the balancing of coaching and professional racing. His students slow his pace, which he ends up using when he is in a real race.
