Tirunesh Dibaba (born June 1, 1985 in Arsi,
Ethiopia) is an Ethiopian long distance track
athlete.
Born in the village of Chefe, Tirunesh was the 4th
of 6 children and was raised in the high-altitude
Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. She moved to the
capital, Addis Ababa, in 2000 and at the age of 14
began her athletics career.
Tirunesh is part of an athletic family, with older
sister Ejegayehu also making her mark on the
international stage and brother Dejene marked as a
future star. 1992 Olympic champion Derartu Tulu is
also their cousin.
