Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whanau a Bekele ki roto i te whanau Eastern Orthodox o nga kaiahuwhenua tuawhenua i Shewa a i whakatipuhia ia i te taha o ona tuakana tokorua me ona tuahine tokorua. He koretake ia mo te nuinga o tona oranga taitamariki. Na tona taranata ki te oma i whakauruhia ia ki te kaupapa hakinakina hoia a motu, he mea noa i te wa o te kingitanga o te Derg. I reira i whiwhi ia i te mātauranga taketake me te whakangungu tika mo te rere tawhiti. I roto i tana mahi, i whakangunguhia a Bekele e Roba Negussie, he kaitakaro o mua o te Orimipia me te kaiako o Etiopia i mahi hei kaiako mo te roopu omaoma roa o Etiopia. I tīmata a Bekele ki te ao i te
Ko te 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. I te oma i te whakataetae rangatahi, i noho ia ki te tekau, a, ko ia tetahi o te kapa toa o Etiopia.