Subtitle: The Lost Boys of Sudan, Mini Blog #1
Posted on March 10th, 2022
by Olivia Baker
For the 4th installment of Runners Who
Read, we will be reading Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong. In this inspiring
memoir, Lomong chronicles his journey from one of the Lost Boys of Sudan to the
US Olympic Team. His story begins in South Sudan in the midst of Sudan's second
civil war which took place from 1985-2005. Tensions between the primarily
Islamic North Sudan which held the governmental majority and the melting pot of
Christians, indigenous religions, and atheists of South Sudan who (though they
lacked government representation) controlled many of the country's natural resources
came to a boil when North Sudan attempted to take control of an oil field that
straddled the border of both regions and declare all of Sudan to be an Islamic
State. In response, the Southern People's Liberation Army rose up to
reestablish an autonomous South Sudan and fighting commenced. As a result, many
children were displaced, orphaned, abducted, or conscripted to war (link
to citation for more info). The term "Lost Boys" refers to a group of over
20,000 South Sudanese boys (the war primarily took place in the South) who
managed to flee to refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia, of which Lomong is one.
Aside from the fact that this book has been
recommended to me by many people in the running community, I chose this book
because Lopez Lomong has been one of my favorite runners to watch over the past
decade and I think we can all learn something and be inspired by his faith,
diligence, and endurance in the face of such extreme challenges in running and in life.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why are you looking forward to reading and discussing
this book with Runners Who Read this month?
Subtitle: The Wisdom of a Child, Mini Blog
#2 (Chapters 1-8)
Running For My Life, Chapters 1-8
Posted on March 14th, 2022
By Olivia Baker
In the opening chapters of Running For My Life
we learn about Lopez's tumultuous childhood and adolescence. We read about his kidnapping
from church on a Sunday at just 6 years old by members of the rebel army, his
escape with his three "angel" friends who guided him to a Kenyan refugee camp,
and the 10 years he spent growing up at that camp called Kakuma. At the
end of chapter 8, we find out that through an essay he submitted, he earned his
way out of the refugee camp to the United States. In just these first few
chapters, I've been encouraged by Lomong's faith, inspired by his resilience,
but perhaps most of all, moved by his wisdom at such a young age.
At just 6 years old, Lomong recognizes the importance
of keeping busy so as not to dwell on the circumstances, working hard in
everything he did, and never losing hope. When he was crammed into a hut with
the other kidnapped boys, he did his best to keep his small corner clean and
tidy every day, grateful for the space and in need of something to keep his
mind occupied. At the refugee camp, he sought out more and more responsibilities
within his tent "family"—rationing out the food and taking care of the younger
boys—and even worked on a farm just outside the camp to have the opportunity to
earn money. He was always working hard and staying busy.
In some ways, ignorance was bliss. In his youth, he
had no idea of the wealth that existed in other areas of the world, and this
helped him stay focused on that which he did have. "As a small boy in a small
village in a remote section of Sudan, I thought everyone in the world lived
this way," (pg#29) he writes at one point. However, his drive to work hard and
survive under any conditions always motivated him to carry on, even with no clear
end in sight. In his own words "What is the point of such complaining…All the
complaining in the world will not make your life any better. Instead, you must
choose to make the best of whatever the situation in which you find yourself,
even in a place like Kakuma." (pg#55-56). Running with no finish line in sight
for years on end in that refugee camp, he keeps his eyes on surviving and
bettering his life every day without losing hope because holding out hope was a
matter of life and death.
Discussion Questions:
1. What
can we learn from Lomong's mindset as we face trials in our lives?
2. Lomong's
first discovery of the Olympics came as he watched Michael Johnson win Olympic
gold in the 400m at the 2000 Olympic Games from a remote farm just outside his
refugee camp. Seeing someone with brown skin just like him compete in running,
something he loved doing at the camp, inspired him to believe that he could go
to the Olympics on day and motivated him to dream beyond the perimeter of the
camp. In what ways has the Olympics inspired you?
3. What
have you learned about life from children?
Subtitle: Gratitude, Mini-Blog #3
Running For My Life, Chapters 9-17
Posted on March 24th, 2022
By Olivia Baker
Through the middle chapters of Running For My Life,
as we read about Lomong's transition to life in America and his formal
introduction to competitive running, a word that came to mind over and over
again is gratitude. I was constantly struck by the things about America that
Lomong highlights as luxuries and reminded of aspects of life in the United
States that people often take for granted. In the witty style of humor we've
come to know from Lomong, he recounts getting a headache from all of the
options available to him when visiting McDonald's for the first time and his
difficulties figuring out how to use appliances that are connected to indoor
plumbing like the shower and toilets. He writes of being given a bike,
something only the rich people in the villages surrounding his refugee camp
owned. In a more serious tone, he notes that living with his adoptive family,
the Rogers', gave him at 16 years old an opportunity to live like a kid again
and have his stolen childhood returned to him for a few years. In the midst of
it all, Lomong expresses gratitude for the opportunities he's been afforded which
spurs a drive to find ways to give back to his family of Lost Boys, many of
whom were still stuck in Kakuma. Growing up in the States, it can be easy to
take things for granted. These next few days, let's reflect on our everyday
lives with a little greater focus on gratitude and let it spur generosity in
our hearts.
Discussion Questions:
1. What
are some of the "simple" things in life you are most grateful for? What things
about the running community do you appreciate most?
Subtitle: Nothing Is Impossible Mini Blog #4
Chapters 18-25 and Appendix
Posted on March 29th, 2022
By Olivia Baker
In the closing chapters of Running For My Life,
we read about Lomong's development into an Olympic 1500m runner on the track,
his academic journey to receiving his college degree, and the beginnings of his
work to give back to his home community in South Sudan. By the end of the story,
he is no longer just surviving, but thriving in his academic, athletic, and personal
endeavors. It's hard not to be inspired by just how far Lomong has come. In
reflection, there were two things about his story that encouraged me the most,
Lomong's grit and determination to never view his goals as impossible, and the
huge impact of the people around him.
We are reminded of just how remarkable his journey has
been when he recounts finally achieving his goal of graduating from college. In
that final chapter, he goes back through the entire journey from the killing
fields of Sudan through writing with a stick in the dirt of Kakuma, graduating
high school in America on time, and finally coming back every off season to
finish his classes, to emphasize the point that anything is possible. In his
words, "If Lopez Lomong can go from a rebel prison camp to college graduate, so
can they [other lost boys and girls]. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that
anything is possible. That's not just for me, but for anyone who is willing to
work hard and let nothing stand in the way of reaching their dreams," (pg# 273).
Whenever I start to think that my goals are impossible or out of reach, I'll
think back on this story and be encouraged.
Another point that Lomong consistently discusses are the
many doors that were opened for him throughout this journey that were not
afforded to others because of the people he encountered along the way. From his
three angels who guided him out of the rebel camp and the Roger family who
monumentally changed the course of his life to the guys who helped him open his
locker in high school and the teammate at Norfolk State who encouraged him to
go to NAU, there were so many people who played roles of varying degrees in
this story. Many of them probably don't even know of the impact that they had. These
encounters make me think of a quote (from Spiderman: No Way Home no less) that
says "Helping someone helps everyone,". Sometimes you'll never know the impact
you can have on the trajectory of someone's life through the smallest of encounters
and the further ripple effect that can have. Whether you are a person currently
chasing a goal or someone with the opportunity to help someone else along their
journey, remember that nothing is impossible and take advantage of that
opportunity.
Discussion Questions:
1. What
is your most lofty goal?
2. In what ways were you inspired by Running For My Life?