Background

When Aheza was young, she almost always won her races during physical education class, and by the age of 16 was representing her school at the All-Ethiopian School Championships, winning the 5000 meters. In 2004, she moved to Addis Ababa and joined the Ethiopian Electric Light and Power club. Her first competition outside of Ethiopia was in the 2005 Beijing International Women’s Ekiden, where she won the fourth leg.