Haftu Strintzos says he sometimes feels he has lived “a double life”: one beginning in the mountains of Ethiopia and another shaped by education, migration and elite sport in Australia. The 27-year-old is now Australia’s men’s marathon record holder, but his childhood was spent helping support his family in eastern Tigray.

Born at an elevation of about 2,300 metres, Strintzos lost both biological parents by the age of six. He was raised by his maternal grandmother and lived with his aunt and cousins, spending long hours barefoot in the fields. According to ABC News Australia, his community had limited access to information, with a mobile phone his only source until he was 10.

His life changed after he met Maria Strintzos, a Greek-Australian aid worker who had spent decades working in Ethiopia and other parts of the Horn of Africa. She adopted him and helped him move to Melbourne in 2011, more than 12,000 kilometres from his birthplace. Maria said she was struck by the way he cared for his almost blind grandmother and by his quiet, serious nature.

In Australia, Strintzos confronted language difficulties, culture shock, unfamiliar food and what he described as subtle racism. He also pursued his interest in engineering, which began with taking apart toy cars and other objects. He went on to graduate with a Master of Electrical Engineering from Villanova University in the United States and now speaks five languages, ABC News Australia reported.

Strintzos discovered athletics only after arriving in Australia. A physical-education teacher encouraged him to compete after seeing him run a school cross-country race; he continued beyond the finish line, displaying the endurance that would later define his career. Running also helped him connect with his local community, he said.

Under coach Adam Didyk, who has trained him remotely from Adelaide for two years, Strintzos has built up to 190 kilometres of weekly training. He ran 2:06:20 at the Gold Coast Marathon in July, breaking the Australian men’s record, winning the race and setting course and Oceania records. It was his fourth marathon attempt. ABC News Australia said he was the first Australian winner of the event in 20 years.