Who Am I?
Born Hussein Abdi Kahin, the person we know today as the legendary Sir Mo Farah, started life in a war-torn Somaliland. He and his twin brother Hassan were part of a family of six children. Aged only 4, he lost his father due to the conflict, and later, his family fled, and he and Hassan went to live with a grandparent.
Separated from his family at the age of 9, he was illegally trafficked to the UK by a woman he didn’t know. He was made to work as a servant and given a new name – Mohammed Farah. He was subjected to threats if he didn’t work hard, and all contact with his real family was removed from him. He remained brave and worked hard, not aware of the fact that he was being treated as a slave – he didn’t know any different!
He was not allowed to attend school until he was about 11. Although he struggled in the classroom, he discovered his love of being on the track. Encouraged by his sports teacher, who observed his talents as an athlete, he eventually revealed his story. Following this, the authorities immediately removed him from his situation, and this gave him a chance at a normal childhood with another Somali family.
What Am I Known For?
His prowess as a track and field athlete was outstanding, and before long, he was winning not only European Championships but also World Championships. Then he topped all this off with Olympic Gold medals! In all, he has two Olympic and World Championship Gold medals to his name.
In his professional career, he has overcome many physical hurdles due to various injuries and health-related setbacks, but he was determined to be the best that he could be, so he never gave up on improving his performance and always trained hard.
Eventually, Mo announced his true childhood story to the world. This revelation shone a light on the plight of many other children who fall victim to trafficking and slavery. He started a foundation to help advocate for the children and set about participating in many fundraising events. His contributions to athletics and his kindness to others saw him receive a knighthood in 2017.
Today, Mo has his own family, and he has, thanks to a chance meeting, also had a joyous reunion with his mother, who was unaware of what had become of him. He continues to advocate for awareness around child trafficking and says he was lucky that he discovered sport, which saved him. Through his work, he has realised that there are many others who go through exactly what happened to him, and he is determined to end child slavery.
Mo Farah is an amazing exemplar of resilience despite being estranged from his family and forced into slavery. He discovered his saviour in sport and never gave up on the end goal of becoming an elite athlete. His story is truly inspirational, and he is an important role model for young people.
Image: See Li from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
