Career
He came to Stuttgart, Germany, at the age of six as a refugee from the Eritrean War of Independence. Before specializing in middle distance running, he played association football for VfB Stuttgart. Ghirmai also studied business economics at the renowned University of Tübingen.
He finished twelfth at the 1998 World Junior Championships and seventh at the 2002 IAAF World Cup.
He also competed at the 2002 European Championships and the 2003 World Championships without reaching the finals. He has competed for the sports clubs LAC Pliezhausen (1993-2002) and LAV Tübingen (2003-present).