 As an age-category athlete she won several individual medals, first taking 3000 metres bronze at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics, then the junior silver at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and finally another track bronze at the 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships.As part of the Ethiopian junior cross country team, she shared in a silver in 2010 before leading the team to gold in the 2011 edition.She began competing on the IAAF Diamond League senior circuit in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.