Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games

When Lopez Lomong was water baptized in a refuge camp in Kenya as a teenager, his name was changed from Lopepe to Joseph, and although he continues to use his childhood nickname, Lopez, this man is a modern-day Joseph in almost every way.

Kidnapped from his mother's arms by Sudanese rebels who raided his church at the age of six, Lopez saw death up-close before most children can grasp of the concept.
The story of his escape from the rebel prison camp is electrifying and inspiring. He compares it with the apostle Peter's miraculous escape from prison, and rightly so.

When Lopez didn't make it back to his village, he found himself in a Kenyan refuge camp, where he lived for almost a decade. Woven through a heart-breaking description of growing up in the camp, Lopez somehow finds renewed faith in God and learns valuable life lessons that shape him into a very special young man.

One thing he learned to do well was run.
As the camp grew, the number of boys who wanted to play soccer every day became difficult to manage, so the older boys made a rule: Everyone had to run one lap around the camp before he could report to the soccer field. The first ones back would be the first ones to play. One lap around the camp was 33 kilometers - about 18 miles.

One day at the camp, a U.N. worker announced that a program had been set up to send 3500 boys to live in America. Catholic Charities had organized a foster care program that would place the "lost boys of Sudan" with families in America. Lopez offered himself to God, and God accepted by sending him to live with a family in New York.

The stories of Lopez's culture shock are laugh-out-loud funny
- from the first time he told his new dad he wanted to run about 33 kilometers, to figuring out the light switch and the shower. His perspective, and his humility, are eye-opening.

Lopez's career as a runner began when his high school track coach bribed him to join the team with a school jersey that had his name on the back, despite Lopez insisting that he was a soccer player and his difficulty in understanding why Americans think running is a sport. It wasn't long before God rekindled an old dream about being an Olympian athlete, and helped Lopez see how his success could give him a platform to talk abut the lost boys of Sudan.

God has definitely blessed Lopez's hard work and determination (both of which he has an abundance of to his credit). From selflessly supportive friends and coaches, to undeniable healing miracles, Lopez has leaned on God and God has supported him. I'm not an athlete, and I'm definitely not a runner, but I couldn't flip pages fast enough, as Lopez told the stories of some of his races through the Olympic trials and the 2008 Olympic games.

I don't know if I could recommend this book too highly.
Lopez's humility and perspective will open your eyes and help you appreciate what you've been given in a new way. His unwavering trust in God will inspire your faith. His story - as a grand narrative, or as a collection of athletic parables - will instruct you.

And a portion of the book proceeds benefit his charity to build a better world in Sudan.

This would be a great story if it were fiction. The fact that it is real just makes it that much more compelling.

I bought this book for me, because I am a runner and have spent some time in East Africa. However, I haven't even read the whole book yet. My wife seized it, read it in a day, and has been reading excerpts to my children, who are also captivated by the story. I read 2 chapters tonight to my seven year old son, who was begging for me to go on. I am really looking forward to reading the bits I've so far missed!

Lomong's story has tragedy, hope, triumph, and humor- his stories about some of his first experiences in the US are simply hilarious.

Lopez Lomong is among that class of young Africans like Meb Keflezighi (Run to Overcome), Valentino Deng (What is the What, by Dave Eggers), and William Kamkwamba (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind) who have compelling life stories (and books), and who will (I hope) continue to make the world a better place.

Read this book!

This is God's story, and He wants it told: Lopez Lomong qualified for the 2012 London Olympics tonight by placing third in the 5000 meter race at the U.S. track and field trials. He will be proudly wearing the uniform for the United States, the country that gave him a second chance at life. When Lopez was six years-old, he was kidnapped by rebel soldiers in his native South Sudan and imprisoned. Miraculously, he escaped to Kenya where he spent the next ten years as an orphan (he had no idea if his parents were alive) in a refugee camp where the conditions in which he lived seemed hopeless and desperate. By contrast, Lopez remained filled with hope and the pragmatism necessary to thrive in this environment. Drawing upon the faithfulness of a loving God taught to him by his parents, he was certain that God had important plans for him. Running for My Life is Lopez's story of his journey to America and eventual trip to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a 1500 meter runner. His sharing his story with the world is truly a gift. This book is not only nearly impossible to put down, I believe it will be life-changing for many that read it. My spirit was encouraged, and I have been challenged by the abundance in my life compared to what refugees around the world live without. I am eager to help those hurting in South Sudan; you'll likely be, too, after you read this book. Lopez also has a blog at LopezLomong.com. There, you'll learn about opportunities to help this cause.
I was given a copy of Running for My Life by Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Running for my Life shares the true story of Lopez Lomong, now a U.S. Olympic Athlete. When the story opens though, Lopez was a young boy ripped from his family by rebel soldiers. The path he takes is hard. So, so hard, it is almost hard to fathom the amount of Lost Boys stuck in the same situation. After a miraculous series of events, Lopez ended up in a refuge camp where he had the opportunity to be baptized - during the service he was given a new name, Joseph. Without a doubt, Lopez epitomized the character of Joseph from the Old Testament.

His journey to the States was depicted with so many details, I could feel the confusion over how things worked and our overwhelming wealth compared to Sudan. Seeing 9-11 through this boys eyes was an interesting, heartbreaking view.

Personally, I was deeply touched by the needs of not only Lopez, but the rest of the boys left behind.....not to mention all the boys and girls stuck in orphanages and the foster care system. Rob and Barbara Rogers, the family that God used to change the life of Lopez, continued to give - ultimately welcoming more boys into their home, and lives.

God's hand was clearly on the sequence of events in his life, (and in turn ours) This is such a faith building book - but more than that, it inspired me to take a good look around at all I have. Thank God for the blessings, but then do more - like the examples of the Rogers. (and Lopez himself as he continues to use his newfound wealth to give back to his country)

Wonderful book...and I am looking forward to cheering Lopez on in the upcoming 2012 Olympics!

It's been a long time since I've read a memoir that choked me up like "Running for My Life" by Lopez Lomong. When he was six, Lomong was ripped from his mother's arms by rebel soldiers in South Sudan. He was held in captivity in harsh conditions until he could be trained as a child soldier. But he and his "three angels" escaped, ran for three days, and ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya, where he lived for the next ten years.

The conditions in the camp left much to be desired and was only one step above the imprisonment he escaped from. Lomong's favorite past-time while in the camp was soccer, but there were so many boys wanting to play, they decided that they had to run one lap around the camp first. The lap was eighteen miles.

He was finally given the chance to emigrate to America. All he had to do was write an essay - in English. He only spoke Swahili and the only school lessons he had were scribbled in the dirt with his finger. But as with all the roadblocks he faced in life, he overcame this one too.

To make a long story short, he made it to the U.S., graduated from high school on time, ran track in college, and made it to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Now he spends his time helping other "lost boys" from Sudan realize their dreams.

This is an amazing story, one that fills me with hope and proves that anything is possible. After reading "Running for My Life", I can no longer complain about the unfairness of life or use any excuse for not realizing my own dreams. And it makes me proud of my country, especially to see it through the eyes of this "lost boy" from Sudan.

Review Written by David Allan Reeves
Author of "Running Away From Me"

Very inspirational!

I was incredibly fortunate to meet Lopez on a plane two years ago.
He was on his way to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, IA.
I was so inspired by my two or three hour conversation with him.
Read this book!! He is a truly amazing human being!
Good Luck in London Lopez!
Jan R

Wow! What a blessing this book was. You will laugh, cry, be encouraged, and be challenged. You will feel like Lopez Lomong is part of your own family. His story is nothing short of miraculous. From being kidnapped at a church service at the age of 6 to leading America into the Olympics, you see God's hand on his life the entire way.

This story is one of the most inspiring I have ever read. From the age of 6, Lopez was surrounded by death. He could have given up on life many times, but he kept fighting, always chasing a dream. The one thing I take from this story is to never stop believing or trying. God has a plan for all of our lives, but the plan usually involves work on our part as well. Lopez could have easily given up but he would have missed out on the awesome things God had in store. I don't want to give the whole story way because I think everyone should read this book.
Me and Lopez are the same age. I was really moved at how his child hood was so vastly different than mine. He dealt with death everyday. He fought to survive everyday. He was giving nothing, but took advantage of every opportunity given to him.
This really opened my eyes to what is going on with our brothers and sisters in Africa. People are dying everyday because they don't have clean water or food to eat, not to mention the lack of health care and medicine. Lopez has partnered with World Vision to help save these people. You can help support Lopez and mission through his website: lopezlomong.com.
I look forward to cheering him on in the 5000 meter race of the Olympics next week! Go Lopez!

I could not put this book down after I first started reading it, neither could I stop crying when reading the initial chapters. This book is incredibly inspiring and makes you feel more grateful for what you have and it made me revisit my reasons and examine my views when complaining about insignificant nuisances of life. Lopez Lomong is not only an incredible runner, he is a very positive example for many of us, somebody who overcame all the odds and not only achieved what it is a dream for most athletes, competing in the Olympics, but he never forgot where he came from and as a young adult works hard to improve the life of those who are not so fortunate and do not have access to many of the things most of us take for granted. I highly recommend this book, it's very heavy emotionally at the beginning with the very sad story of his kidnapping but by the middle of the book you are smiling from ear to ear as you read of his first time interacting with electricity, showers, etc. I was wishing this book didn't end and found myself googling about his latest races and accomplishments after the last chapter was over.

Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong was a real eye opener for me. When I first picked it up to read for my 10th grade global literature class, I wasn't expecting much. I assumed this book would be slow paced, depressing, and generic. But it proved me wrong with every flip of the page. This book was more like a fiction book in how it mixed almost unbelievable story telling and inspiring life lessons together. The life of Lopez Lomong told to us in this book can teach us all valuable life lessons such as the power of faith, positivity, and self-belief. For these reasons I would encourage you to purchase and read this book.