Last weekend, my cousin Bernard and I headed out on Lady Bird Lake for a run together. It always feels good to run with Bernard as we push each other along. I have been running a lot more lately and feeling really good about my physical progress.

Gilbert with Paul Carroza of RunTex.

But running also helps me strengthen my mind and spirit. The trail always reminds me so much of home and my life back in Burundi. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we are all connected and how sometimes this is a very small world.

A friend sent me an email with a link to a website – www.marathondelapaix.org – and, when I went to the website, it really touched my heart. A group of athletes from Burundi have organized a marathon for peace for December 6, 2008.

I was amazed and delighted that people are organizing to make peace happen in my country. I was really struck by the number of people who are committed to giving back to their country and their people. It motivated me to seek out some of my friends.

It had been a long time that I talked to so many of my friends as we all have become so busy in our lives. I spent the weekend trying to find their numbers and re-connect with them. I was delighted to find out that even though we are all in different parts of the world, we all remain committed to giving back to Burundi. Several of my old friends came together to put on this race that has a message of hope and peace for Burundi.

I talked to Vénuste Niyongabo, who won gold medal in the 5,000 meters in the 1996 Summer Olympics, becoming the first champion from Burundi. Vénuste lives in Europe now and plans to head to the Olympics this year, but not to run. He is now the president of the team Burundi Olympian and will be attending on behalf of his employer.

I also reconnected with Patrick Nduwimana, who used to run for the University of Arizona and is now in graduate studies. He is studying how civil war affects the use of natural resources, especially on crop productivity.

Arthemon Hatungimana, who now lives and coaches a club in France, left Burundi in 1992. It was so good to hear his voice – we picked up where we’d left off last. I remind him of the Adidas running shoes he gave me before he left Burundi.

The day of the massacre in Burundi, my captors really wanted those shoes from me and I actually hesitated to give them up. These details of our lives are sometimes lost until we reconnect with others again – I had forgotten about those shoes until we talked the other day.

What a great weekend spent reminiscing, telling jokes, and talking about the good times. Talking with these old friends reminded me so much of wonderful times in Burundi in the 80’s and early 90’s before the violence. I’m so proud of these men who have achieved so much personally and still want to give back to their country in an attempt to bring about hope and peace.