Running For My Life, by Lopez Lomong. Timeline by James Traxler 7B

He was born in 1985 and lived in Kimotong, Sudan for the first 6 years of his life.

Rebel soldiers kidnapped Lopepe to train him to be a child soldier. Lopepe escaped the prison camp with three teenage boys who he calls his "Angels". They ran for 3 days straight.

Lopepe (Lopez) Lomong was stuck in a refugee camp for 9 year of his 15 years of living. He watched one Olympics on a bad TV powered by a car battery in one of those years. He made it his goal to be in the Olympics.

Soccer was a sport he loved. It kept him alive and made him better runner. He had to run 18 miles a day to play soccer in the Refugee Camp!

Lopepe and some other boys pay a farmer to watch the Olympics on his TV. Lopepe decides that he is going to be in the Olympics for running after he watches Michael Johnsondo the 400 meter dash.

An American priest visits the camp and tells the boys if they write a letter to the American Embassy, they might be chosen to be sent to America. Lopepe wrote a letter and was chosen.

Lopepe finally gets to American and meets his new foster family. They want him to calle them mom and dad. They all live in Syracuse, NY.

Lopepe goes to High School and has to learn to read and write in English.. He also runs for the Track Team and wins awards. He is recruited by colleges to run for their Track Teams.

He went to college, but soon realized he needed to go to Northern Arizona University to get better coaching for running.

Lopez became a professional runner but he had to drop out of school. He trains to come closer to his Olympic dream.