Hellah Sidibe Explained

Hellah Sidibe is a runner, a former professional soccer player and has run across the United States.[1] He is a run streaker, starting on May 15, 2017,[2] and running every single day since then outdoors and for at least two miles.[3]

Background

Sidibe grew up in Mali playing soccer. He moved to America to join his parents who were studying in DeKalb, Illinois in 1998 and attended DeKalb High School.[4] [5] He then moved back to Mali one year later before returning to the United States in 2003.[6] He played NCAA Division I soccer for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He signed a professional soccer contract with the Kitsap Pumas in 2013 and played 11 games with the team.[4]

Running

In 2017 he set a running goal to run every day for two weeks.[7] A resident of Rochelle Park, New Jersey, he soon decided that he could do this every day for his entire life and started documenting his daily runs on YouTube. In 2021, he ran across all of the United States. The run took him 84 days and 14 states from California to New York and he raised money for the non-profit called Soles4Souls.[8] He has been widely interviewed[9] about his journey to running and why he is a vegan.[10] [11] [12] [13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Bare Performance Podcast: #78 – Running Across America In 84 Days With Hella Sidibe . 2022-11-30 . bareperformancepodcast.libsyn.com . en.
  2. Web site: Williams . George Ramsay,CNN Video by Jarrod . September 22, 2022 . When his hopes of a soccer career faded, Hellah Sidibe started running every day. He's still going five-and-a-half years later . 2022-11-30 . CNN . en.
  3. News: Clemmons . Anna Katherine . January 1, 2022 . The Rise of Daily Run Streakers. No, Not Those Streakers. . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-11-30 . 0362-4331.
  4. Zilis, Anthony. "DeKalb grad evaluates pro soccer prospects", Daily Chronicle, September 4, 2013. Accessed January 10, 2013. "Nine years ago, a player with a bright future in professional soccer was ecstatic just to make the DeKalb High School varsity team. Hellah Sidibe had moved permanently from Mali to DeKalb in 2004, where his parents each earned their Ph. D. at Northern Illinois University, and he was one of just a few freshmen to make the team."
  5. News: 'I've seen snakes and mountain lions that weren't there' – the ex-footballer running across the US . en-GB . BBC Sport . 2022-11-30.
  6. Web site: October 14, 2021 . Hellah Sidibe on his epic 3061-mile run in 84 days from LA to New York . 2022-11-30 . AW . en-GB.
  7. Web site: Hellah Sidibe Just Ran Across America, And He's Not Done Yet . 2022-11-30 . InsideHook . en-US.
  8. Web site: Hellah Sidibe's Transcontinental Run Across America Gymshark Central . 2022-11-30 . central.gymshark.com.
  9. Web site: 5-year runner on how the sport transformed his life . 2022-11-30 . Good Morning America . en.
  10. Web site: #170: Hellah Sidibe – Running Across America on Plants and Positivity . 2022-11-30 . PLANTSTRONG Podcast . en-US.
  11. Web site: Hellah Sidibe . 2022-11-30 . Viva! The Vegan Charity . en-GB.
  12. Web site: Fraioli . Mario . February 22, 2022 . Hellah Sidibe—the morning shakeout podcast . 2022-11-30 . the morning shakeout . en.
  13. Web site: The Mindset of a Runner. Why Hellah Sidibe Runs Everyday . 2022-11-30 . The Neuro Experience with Louisa Nicola . en.