Bekele akaberekerwa mumhuri yechiOrthodox yekumaruwa kuShewa uye akakurira pamwe chete nevanun'una vake vaviri nehanzvadzi mbiri. Akanga asingagoni kuverenga nokunyora kwechikamu chikuru choupenyu hwake hwepwere. Nemhaka yechipo chake chokumhanya akaunzwa mupurogiramu yemitambo yechiuto yenyika, iyo yakanga yakajairika panguva yekutonga kweDerg. Ikoko akagamuchira dzidzo yokutanga nokurovedzwa kwakakodzera nokuda kwokumhanya daro refu. Mumakore ake ose ebasa, Bekele akadzidziswa naRoba Negussie, aimbova mumhanyi weOlympic uye mudzidzisi mukuru weEthiopia uyo akashanda semudzidzisi wechikwata cheEthiopia cheOlympic chinomhanya kure. Bekele akaita kutanga kwake pasi rose pa1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. Achimhanya munhangemutange yevechiduku, akaiswa pachinzvimbo chegumi uye aiva chikamu chechikwata cheEthiopia chakakunda.