Former “Lost Boy” Chosen As U.S. Flagbearer
August 7, 2008 – 9:56 am
1500 meter runner Lopez Lomong was selected by his teammates to carry the flag at the opening ceremonies tomorrow in Beijing. Lomong was born in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan. At the age of 6 he was abducted by a militia group who tried to turn him and thousands of other young boys into child soldiers. He was eventually able to escape the militia compound, walking for 3 days straight until he reached a refugee camp in Kenya. After 10 years in the refugee camp, he was resettled in the U.S. along with 3,500 other “lost boys” who had been separated from their families as well.
As a high schooler, in the U.S., he excelled at Track & Field, earning a scholarship to Northern Arizona University where he is currently majoring in Hotel Management. In 2007 he became a U.S. citizen, and is thrilled for the opportunity to run for his new country. Lomong hopes that his success can help raise awareness about Darfur and inspire more nations to get involved in bringing peace there.
-JH
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