Sir MO Farah, Intl. Event Ambassador TMM 2025, striking of the gong at the CSMT Viewing Gallery |
To be born under the cloud of civil war in Somalia and move to the UK illegally and then to not just his footing but his entire identity defined by his exploits at the Olympics and World Championships has been the incredible story of the irrepressible Sir Mo Farah.
Mo Farah is in Mumbai as the event brand ambassador for the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 and was excited with his first visit to the country’s financial capital.
Farah is inarguably the greatest male track distance athlete of all time having won 10 major global championship titles that includes four Olympic gold medals and six World Championship medals.
The legend reminisced about the moment which served as an inspiration for him to become an Olympic champion.
“I remember watching the Sydney Olympics 10,000 metres run between Haile Gebreselassie and Paul Tergat with Haile winning eventually in what was an amazing race and I was like wow!..It was that burst of inspiration I needed and I decided I would one day want to be an Olympic champion.”
The iconic athlete feels the 10,000 metres gold from the 2012 London Olympics is the one he would rate as his best effort.
“I feel that was my best moment as I felt it came after not qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics final and I was itching to prove myself and when it happened in London with a double in the 10,000 and 5000,” he added.
In between the 2008 disappointment and the 2012 glory was a pivotal moment in Barcelona for Farah in 2010.
At the European Championships in 2010, Farah clinched the 10,000 metres and 5000 metres and it was the first time a British man had bagged the 10,000 metres title at the European Championships.
This served as a catalyst for him to shift gears and launch his career into a stratospheric level thereafter.
Having lost his father at the age of four and brought into the UK illegally, Farah’s story is inspirational and fascinating all at once considering his transformation into a global superstar. With an opportunity to inspire tens of millions of children in India with his association with the TMM 2025, Farah looks forward to it.
“We all have role models while we were growing up as kids, be it parents or other athletes or sportspeople. I remember joining a running club there were many athletes and my PT teacher came to me and pointed to one of them and asked me if I know this person. He said this is European junior champion etc and I didn’t know. So that sort of opened my eyes,” he added.
