#lopez lomong

[stadiumgods]

lopez lomong

[proseandpinotnoir]

RUNNING FOR MY LIFE: ONE LOST BOY’S JOURNEY FROM THE KILLING FIELDS OF SUDAN TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES by @lopez_lomong

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Easiest 5 out of 5🌟 I ever gave a book

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Running for my Life begins with an inconceivably horrifying atrocity: six-year-old Lopez is ripped from his mother’s arms by Sudanese rebels at Sunday church. The armed rebels had stormed the service in search of children to mold into soldiers to fight with them in the 2nd Sudanese civil war. They kidnapped every child in the church by force.

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“Unsanitary” is too generous of a word to describe the tiny tent Lopez and the other stolen boys were packed into and confined within. The tent served as a toilet; there was nowhere near enough food, and what food they did receive was mixed with sand. Lopez watched boys go to sleep and not wake up again.

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I don’t want to spoil the details of Lopez’s journey, which takes him from that tiny hut to 10 years at the almost-as-bad Kakuma Refugee Camp to Syracuse to the OLYMPICS, because the way he recounts his life is so full of hope and faith and determination it HAS to be read in his own words.

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He used his grit and belief and athletic prowess (he ran 18 miles around the Kakuma perimeter daily, without shoes - like?!?!) to beat pretty much every single tidal-wave-sized odd: he was one of the few boys chosen to be adopted by an American family because of an essay he wrote. He graduated high school in time despite starting 10th grade speaking and reading English at a 2nd grade level. He earned a college degree. He became an American citizen. And then he became an Olympian in 2008, where he was selected out of 596 athletes to be our flag bearer🥺🇺🇸

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This book made me sob and it also made me laugh. Mainly, I was just awed. Deeply awed and humbled. Lopez never once let his circumstances get the best of him. He had his faith, and he knew that all of his accomplishments would lift up a cause much bigger than himself. My mom and I are officially lifelong fans.

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I barely scraped the surface of the rawness and resilience and joy within Lopez’s story. But this is a MUST READ. It’s stunning and powerful and one of the most gripping books I’ve ever read.

[stadiumgods]

lopez lomong

[stadiumgods]

lopez lomong

[nicerunningday]

Evan Jager and Lopez Lomong in New Bowerman Track Club's kit Photo Paul Merca

[itsthacover2]

Powerade’s “Just a Kid” Campaign Spotlights Athletes from Humble Beginnings on the Road to Rio

Video: Powerade Teams Up With Claressa Shields, Shakur Stevenson and Lopez Lomong For “Just a Kid” campaign

With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games drawing near, POWERADE proudly announced partnerships with three U.S. athletes whose personal narratives and struggle reflect the brand’s “Just a Kid” campaign, aiming to inspire by taking a passionate stand for the potential in every young athlete.

Claressa Shields (women’s boxing) of Flint, Mich., Shakur Stevenson (men’s boxing) of Newark, N.J., and Lopez Lomong…

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[nicerunningday]

Prefontaine Classic International Mile.Garreth Heath, Mac Fleet, Lopez Lomong, Andrew Wheating...

[laquestione]

Correr para vivir: De los campos de Sudán a las Olimpiadas | Lopez Lomong

Correr para vivir: De los campos de Sudán a las Olimpiadas by Lopez Lomong My rating: 5 of 5 stars Por lo general cada cierto tiempo descanso de la lectura desafiante intelectualmente o de investigación social y antropológica para leer obras mas "relajadas" y refrescantes, rara vez leo un libro que no me hayan recomendado mis amistades con autoridad, ya que no me gusta leer cualquier cosa, hay que cuidar lo que se consume. Este libro fue para mi una grata sorpresa (lo ví anunciado en kindle y me dio curiosidad, al yo mismo durante la universidad haber hecho atletismo), con un lenguaje diferente al que estoy acostumbrado, refleja grandes valores del ser humano, trata casi todas las áreas que valen la pena mencionar, es un libro escrito fluidamente que "atrapa" al lector de principio a fin, el testimonio de Lopez es fascinante en todos los aspectos, me ha hecho llorar mas de una vez e incluso reír otras tantas, una montaña rusa de emociones siempre con el sentido sobrenatural de la vida. Altamente recomendable, sobre todo para adolescentes (de todas las edades). View all my reviews