British long-distance runner Mohamed Farah has disclosed to BBC his predicament as a child and how he was moved to the UK and was asked to adopt a different name. He said he is a Somalian and his father was killed at age four.
Farah was trafficked to the UK by an unknown woman who was to help him reach his relatives in London. Farah further disclosed to BBC that the moment the woman ripped off the numbers of his relatives in a paper was when he knew he was in trouble.
Mohamed Farah is described as the British most successful track athlete in the modern Olympic Games. He is also knighted by the Queen of England as the most successful distance runner.
His real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin – the name Mohamed Farah was stolen from another child and used to create a fake passport.
He was rescued after confessing to his teacher who helped him discover his talent, and who also helped him to apply for British citizenship using his adopted name.
Farah, 39 has won 10 gold medals (4 Olympics and 6 world titles.
“The real story is I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin,” Farah said in the BBC documentary “The Real Mo Farah.”
“As a family, we have torn apart,” Farah said. “I was separated from my mother, and I was brought into the UK illegally under the name of another child called Mohamed Farah.”
“Once we got to her house, the lady took it off me and right in front of me ripped them up and put it in the bin and at that moment I knew I was in trouble,” he said.
Remembering his time in the house he lived, Farah said:
“When the man was around, I was treated very differently, but often we wouldn’t see him for weeks. From day one, what the lady did wasn’t right. I wasn’t treated as part of the family.
“If I wanted food in my mouth, my job was to look after those kids, shower them, cook for them, clean for them, and she said, ‘If you ever want to see your family again, don’t say anything, or they will take you away.’
“Often I would just lock myself in the bathroom and cry.”
