Sir Mo Farah: The truth is I’m not who you think I am

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Sir Mo Farah has revealed that he was illegally trafficked into Britain under the name of another child as a nine-year-old boy in a new documentary which sheds light on the hero’s past. The four-time Olympic champion had previously claimed he arrived in the UK with his mother and brothers, to live with a relative who was already there. However, in a new BBC documentary, ‘The Real Mo Farah’, to be broadcast on Wednesday, the 39-year-old says that in fact he was trafficked to London by a stranger after his father was killed during the war in Somalia.

His real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin — the name Mohamed Farah was stolen and used to create a fake passport.

Sir Mo was rescued after confiding in a PE teacher who had spotted his talent, and who also helped him to apply for British citizenship using his assumed name.

In the years that followed, he became the most successful male track distance runner ever, having earned ten global championship gold medals — four Olympic and six World titles. 

He is also the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history.

In 2017, Sir Mo received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to athletics. 

He described the moment as “incredible,” but admitted that he felt “far too rude,” to pull out his signature move — the Mobot. 

When asked whether he taught the then-91-year-old monarch how to recreate his victory pose, Sir Mo let out a hearty chuckle, saying no as it was “far too rude — not in Buckingham Palace”.

Earlier that year, the runner called time on his track career and decided to move back to London from the United States to focus on running road marathons. 

He said: “Over the years you dream of becoming something or doing something in your career, to take it to the highest level and become an Olympic champion — that was always the dream.

“As an eight-year-old coming from Somalia and not speaking a word of English, to be recognised by your country, it is incredible.”

On being handed one of the Queen’s highest honours, Sir Mo said the monarch told him he has been “going too long” and asked him if he has retired.

“I said: ‘No, I am going to run the London Marathon — I want to go into roads’. She said that’s marvellous,” he added. 

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Sir Mo won his first marathon in Chicago the following year.  

Farah returned to the track in 2020 after three years of focusing on the marathon but failed to qualify for last year’s delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Now, he has made the decision to stick to the roads, saying his track career is officially over. 

In October this year, he will run his first full marathon since 2019 and he will use the Big Half — a half-marathon race — in September as preparation.

He said: “I’m not going back to the track. This is it. 

“I love to be competitive with others, it’s the reason I’m not going to the world champs or Europeans.

“If I can’t be competitive with these guys, there’s no point in going and making up the team. 

“I’ll give it my all at the London Marathon and see what happens.”

Sir Mo insisted he will not retire until after he runs the two races.

He said: “I am getting on a bit. But do I still have the hunger, am I willing to put in the work and the miles? Yes. 

“I’ve been putting in consistent mileage and I still have that fight in me. Until you lose it I don’t think I should think about retiring.”

The runner added: “But being realistic, can your body do this? I’ve watched tennis and Andy Murray, the guy still has that fight in him but his body doesn’t allow him. 

“So I’m planning two races at the minute and then go back and see where I am.”

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