Lopez Lomong

USA Olympian, Refugee, Philanthropist, and humanitarian

Lopez Lomong is one of the “Lost Boys of the Sudan” and he has run for his life from the killing fields of the Sudan all the way to the Olympic Games stadium representing team USA. He has outrun evil and achieved the impossible through faith, diligence and the desire to give back. Lopez was born in Kimotong, Sudan. At age 6 his childhood ended as he was separated from his parents and forced into a rebel prison camp where his captors intended to turn him into a child soldier. He escaped through a hole in the fence and began running for his life. Covering 60 miles in 3 days, he ended up in a Kenyan refugee camp where he lived for 10 years. One day, in the refugee camp, Lopez got to watch the Olympics on television and his dream to run as an athlete was born. By the time he arrived in the USA at the age of 16, he had already learned more about tragedy, loss, perseverance, and hope than most people learn in a lifetime. Lopez is a 2X Olympian and a 6X National Champion. His fellow Olympians voted him the honor of carrying the American flag into the stadium during the opening ceremonies in Beijing. In 2013 he set the American record in the indoor 5000m.

Lopez has partnered with World Vision to improve the lives of innocent casualties of the Sudanese Civil War, offering a better future to families in South Sudan in the areas of clean water, education, health care and nutrition. In 2012 Visa named him Humanitarian of the Year.

He enjoys cooking African food and spending time with his wife, Brittany, who works with NATO in Belgium.

Website: lopezlomong.com