Former captive free to run, help others

"I want to run as far as I can and as long as possible on the track because it is joy to know that I can help people through my running," said Lopez Lomong.

The world-class runner visited Sisters Athletic Club to share his memoir and his vision with an audience of more than 100 people on Thursday, November 15.

Lomong, 27, began his life in 1985, in what is now Southern Sudan, and was kidnapped at age 6 during a church service by rebels during Sudan's Second Civil War to become a child soldier. After three weeks, he escaped the confines of the camp and ran for three days with two other boys, finally crossing the border into Kenya - by accident. He was taken by border police to a refugee camp where he remained for the next 10 years.

His given name, "Lopepe," transformed to the nickname Lopez while in the camp.

Life in the camp was a dismal existence of very little food, poor sanitation, and daily confrontation with death for Lomong and the other "Lost Boys of Sudan."

"You would sometimes wake up in the morning and think the child next to you was still asleep only to realize he was gone - dead," said Lomong.

Local resident Bonnie Malone asked how he carried on day after day for 10 years. He answered, "We had to let God take care of the past and live with hope for the day we had."

He said that some of his friends were like angels who guided him and helped focus on staying positive.

"Sometimes we would lie at night under the stars and tell stories," he said.

To help forget about hunger during the day, he and other boys would run and play soccer. "Sometimes we ran 18 miles a day just so we had something to do and not think about food."

Lomong had a life-changing experience in 2000, when word in the camp came that the Olympics were taking place in Australia. Hoping to see Olympic soccer, he and some other friends collected five shillings each and walked a few miles to a place with a television.

"I got to the place and I was so dirty that the owner would only let me sit on the floor," said Lomong. "The small black and white television was not showing soccer, but track and field."

Lomong witnessed 400-meter champion Michael Johnson win and was stirred deeply as he watched Johnson, with a tear running down his cheek, on the podium with the Star-Spangled Banner playing.

"I decided right then that I wanted to run as fast as that guy and do it for that country," he said.

Considering that he belonged to no country and did not even own a pair shoes, the idea seemed outlandish.

Doors opened for his dreams in 2001 when a Catholic relief organization offered 3,800 refugees from the camp an opportunity to be adopted by families in America. Since he believed that his own parents and brother were dead, he decided to apply.

"I wrote an essay in Swahili that then had to be translated word-for-word in English," he said. "It was probably the worst essay ever written but somehow I was selected and a family from upstate New York took me in."

Adjusting to life of abundance in America took some time. He related a humorous story about his first experience with taking a shower and what a blessing it was to have his own bed for the first time in his life.

Lomong went on to a stellar high school and college running career, which included being a collegiate national champion in the 1,500 meters for Northern Arizona University in 2007 when he ran 3:37.07. His all-time best for 1,500 is 3:33.59 and for 5,000 meters his record is 13:11.

In 2008, a year after becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States, he placed third in the 1,500 at the Olympic Trials to qualify for the games in Beijing and was chosen to be the flag bearer for the U.S. team for the opening ceremony.

"When the team voted on who should carry the flag one of the nominators said to pick me because my story is what America is all about," he said.

He qualified for the Olympics again this year in the 5,000 meters, where he placed 10th.

Sisters Athletic Club owner Tate Metcalf was thrilled to have the opportunity to connect Lomong with the Sisters community.

"I have followed Lopez' running career since his college days, so I was extremely excited to have him come here," said Metcalf. "I had a connection with Tim Lawrence, who is traveling with Lopez on behalf of World Vision, which helped this come about. The club likes to reach out to the community and anytime we can get an athlete of his caliber who can serve as a role model for young athletes in our area, we're going to do it."

With many young runners in the audience, Lomong was asked what advice he had for them. He said, "Trust three people - your mother, your father, and your coach. They will always believe in you even when you don't perform well."

He also said that students should always thank their teachers for providing education.

Lomong's running plans for the upcoming season are to make the world championship team and compete in Moscow, while also keeping his eye on returning to the Olympics set for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the meantime he will also continue his humanitarian work through the Lopez Lomong Foundation 4 South Sudan, which is partnered with World Vision. He recently received the U.S.A. Track and Field Humanitarian Award-sponsored by VISA-for his work toward providing clean water, basic health care, nutrition, and education to his native country's people.

"There are kids in South Sudan suffering as much or more than I did who need our help," he said.

The foundation website is http://www.lopezlomong.com/foundation.

Lomong, who is sponsored by Nike, lives in Lake Oswego and trains with a group of elite runners under the tutelage of Jerry Schumacher.

His parting comments to the audience included: "Set your goals higher than you think possible."

That motto has certainly worked for this former Lost Boy who continues to run for his life and the lives of others.