Lopez LomongReviews

A non-fiction read about one of the "Lost Boys" (kidnapped by rebel groups at the age of 6) and his miraculous escape(s) finally ending up in America in a great adoptive home. It was such an inspiring read not only about athletics, but about hard work, the American dream, the desire to learn, and compassion for others. Although he was has won many national championships and qualified and participated in 3 different Olympics, he has failed to place in those events. Lomong is giving back to his home country through the Lopez Lomong Foundation, with a mission to provide clean water, education, healthcare, and nutrition to the people of South Sudan. Although the prose was not inspiring, the story certainly was! 257 pages

Memoir of a young man who was stolen from his village in south Sudan as a young child, escaped from his captors a few weeks later, and then spent 10 years in a refugee camp before being adopted by a loving family in the US - Lopez was a runner whose dream of participating in the Olympics was realized along with other huge goals - This man is ambitious, loving, and grateful and his story was powerfully inspiring. Despite an extremely challenging late childhood and adolescence, Lopez flourished and has been able to enrich the lives of many -½

The inner strength of this driven boy is amazing. Each goal he sets for himself seems too lofty, but he moves beyond what anyone thought he could do. His life is inspiring and motivational. He overcomes obstacles most Americans will never experience. Very glad I read it!

Lopez Lomong

Have you ever been taken away from your parents while in church by people with machine guns? If so, you should read the book Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong, based on a true story.

Lopez’s first time on a plane he thought he had to pay for his food so he starved for three to four hours until a flight attendant told him the food was free. Lopez is a weird guy; he runs barefoot. His first day in a real house he didn’t want to use the bathroom in a BIG CLEAN house, so he asked if he could use the bathroom outside, with the dog. He also did not know how turn off the chandelier in his room, so he slept with the light on all night.

I was so shocked that he actually made it to America. He was one out of 1,000 people to get a spot to go to America from the refugee camp, in South Africa. I would recommend this book to everyone since it was a true story and kept me interested while I was reading it.

Lopez Lomong

Have you ever been taken away from your parents while in church by people with machine guns? If so, you should read the book Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong, based on a true story.

Lopez’s first time on a plane he thought he had to pay for his food so he starved for three to four hours until a flight attendant told him the food was free. Lopez is a weird guy; he runs barefoot. His first day in a real house he didn’t want to use the bathroom in a BIG CLEAN house, so he asked if he could use the bathroom outside, with the dog. He also did not know how turn off the chandelier in his room, so he slept with the light on all night.

I was so shocked that he actually made it to America. He was one out of 1,000 people to get a spot to go to America from the refugee camp, in South Africa. I would recommend this book to everyone since it was a true story and kept me interested while I was reading it.

Running for My Life is a Lost Boy memoir, the 4th such memoir I have read. All of these memoirs follow a similar though no less compelling arc. (I won't spoil it). Lomong's story is actually the least brutal of the 4, he seemed to be very lucky at key moments in his life. Of course luck is made (or in Lopez's belief granted by God), he has a positive and upbeat attitude tempered by the harsh reality of his background. This is a short and simple memoir, it would be suitable for younger readers, as well as Christian since Lopez is devoutly religious. He came in 10th place at the London 2012 Olympics. Ultimately if he helps his country stabilize that will be the real race to win.½

Pretty inspiring book. Lopez's story is amazing and he is really a modern day Joseph.

Lopez Lomong, begins his tale in the voice of his six year old self- filled with confusion and fear as he is taken to become a child soldier in Sudan. He chronicles his escape from the camp, his survival of ten years in a refugee camp and his adjustment to life in America. His eventual placement on the US Olympic Track Team represents the ultimate in goals- yet his graduation from college is his other personal triumph. This book is inspiring- and filled with insights into so many differences between the ‘peaceful world of North America, and the war torn region of Africa. Lomong’s life will be interesting to follow.

I received this book from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the blurb about it I wanted to read this book – not because I’m an avid sports fan (because I’m not) but because I am always interested in how people overcome adversity. This book did not disappoint.

Lopez Lomong was born in the Sudan. He was one of a family of four children, but the only one with his parents in the open-air church service that Sunday morning in 1991 – the day the rebel soldiers came for the children. He was only six years old. That was the day he was violently separated from his family with dozens of other boys and girls, the day his life was forever changed.

Lopez tells the story of his kidnapping, of not knowing what happened to all the girls that were taken at the same time, of the prison camp where boys were trained to be child soldiers – but he was too small to become a soldier so he was left in the hut, probably to die as so many did. The difference for him was that he was rescued in a dramatic way, which to this day he firmly believes was God’s hand on his life.

Lopez tells about his escape with three other boys, how they ran for three days, always miraculously finding food and water when needing it, where he ended up as a refugee instead of where he thought he was headed – home to his mother, and the ever-challenging experiences he had there that would shape him into the man he would become.

His parents had named him Lopepe, which means ‘fast’, and he lived up to that name because he loved to run and always ran as fast as he could. This trait would be one thing that kept him alive, one main factor that would shape his life and eventually help him immigrate to the United States where he continues to run. In an unlikely place his heart was set on the Olympics when he was a boy. I read Running For My Life during the London 2012 Olympics, which seemed appropriate since Lopez Lomong was running for the USA.

As I read through this book as one looking in from the outside, I could recognize God’s guidance and protection as Lopez trusted Him with his life. He tells his story with painful honesty, later revealing a sense of humour that caused me to laugh out loud several times.

Lopez Lomong has a passion, not just for running, but for helping the people in his village and South Sudan. He now has a charitable foundation called 4 South Sudan set up to achieve his goals of providing clean water, education, nutrition through better farming methods, and basic health care that will save lives. Because World Vision already has a presence in Sudan, he partnered with them to set things in motion. Also, part of the proceeds of the sale of this book go to his foundation.

Check it out: www.LopezLomong.com/foundation