This quote shows that Gilbert wants to prove to the world that despite what he has been through, he has overcome his terrible life experience and become the man he is Today. Gilbert's terrible life experience helped shape him into the ambitious person he is now. He challenges himself and tries to improve himself to achieve his goal, thanks to his past experience. With this, the genocide had a great impact on Gilbert's life. Furthermore, Hall observes, "In truth, runners do not run to beat other runners. They run against themselves: to conquer their own will, to transcend their own weaknesses, to fend off their own nightmares" (603). This quote shows that running is not always competition, but it helps runners overcome their difficulties