Quick Facts
British Celebrities Born In March
Also Known As: Hussein Abdi Kahin, Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah
Age: 42 Years, 42 Year Old Males
Family:
Spouse/Ex-: Tania Nell
father: Muktar Farah
mother: Amran Farah
children: Aisha Farah, Amani Farah, Rhianna Farah
Born Country: Somalia
Athletes British Men
Height: 5'9" (175 cm), 5'9" Males
Notable Alumni: Feltham Community College
Grouping of People: Black Athletes
City: Mogadishu, Somalia
More Facts
education: Feltham Community College
Childhood & Early Life
Mohamed Muktar Jama “Mo” Farah was born on 23 March 1983, in Mogadishu, Somalia, as one of the six children of British-born Muktar Farah and his Somali wife. In the 1980s, Somalia was a politically chaotic nation marred by rampant violence. The Farah family was forced to move to the UK when he was a child.
His initial years in the UK were full of difficulties as he faced considerable challenges in fitting into the society as a boy from Africa. Interested in sports from a young age, he was skilled at both running and in playing football, eventually choosing running.
He ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club and received training at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, from 2001 to 2011. He received considerable support from major figures like women’s marathoner Paula Radcliffe and philanthropist Sir Eddie Kulukundis who helped him in his running career and in becoming a naturalized British citizen.
Mo Farah initially trained under coach Alan Storey in 2001 and won the 5000 m at the European Athletics Junior Championship title that year.
Career
As a senior, Mo Farah clocked a time of 13 minutes 9.40 seconds for 5000 m to become Britain’s second-fastest runner after Dave Moorcroft, in 2006. The same year he won the silver medal in the European Championship 5000 m in Gothenburg and the 2006 European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy.
Over the next few years he also trained in Kenya and Ethiopia following which he won European titles in 2010 in 5000 m and 10,000 m. He moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2011 to train under American coach Alberto Salazar.
The year 2011 was a highly successful one for Mo Farah. He won the gold in the 3000 m at the European Indoor Championships. He then proceeded to win the silver medal in the 10,000 m and then the gold in the 5000 m at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, becoming the first British man to win a World Championships medal over either distance.
His career was poised to touch greater heights in 2012. At the London 2012 Olympics, he won Great Britain’s first Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, in a time of 27:30.42. He made a long-distance double at the 2012 Olympics, when he won the 5000 m in a time of 13:41.66.
In 2013, Mo Farah broke the European 1500 m record with a time of 3:28.81 at the Herculis meeting in Monaco. With this feat, he effectively broke Steve Cram’s 28-year-old British record and Fermín Cacho’s 16-year-old European record. The same year, he also won the 10,000 m and 5000 m event at the World Championships in Moscow.
He was supposed to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but an illness forced him to withdraw.
In 2015, he broke the indoor two-mile world record at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix by running an 8:03.4 to break Kenenisa Bekele’s record. He proceeded to win the long-distance gold medal double at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, at the age of 32.
His amazing form continued at the 2016 Rio Olympics where he won gold medals at the 10,000 m and 5000 m, becoming the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history, after Lasse Virén, to successfully defend the 5000 m and 10,000 m titles.
Awards & Achievements
He was named the European Athlete of the Year in both 2011 and 2012.
Mo Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.
Personal Life & Legacy
Mo Farah married his longtime girlfriend Tania Nell in 2010. The couple has three children. The family also includes his wife’ daughter from a previous relationship.
Philanthropic Activities
He launched the Mo Farah Foundation after a trip to Somalia in 2011. The following year he participated in ITV’s ‘The Cube’ and won £250,000 which he contributed to the foundation.
Farah took part in the 2012 Olympic hunger summit at 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron. The purpose of the summit was to raise awareness and activity in tackling the problem of world hunger.
Facts About Mo Farah
Mo Farah has an identical twin brother named Hassan, who also shares a passion for running but has not reached the same level of success as Mo.
Farah is known for his signature “Mobot” celebration, where he forms a “M” shape with his arms above his head, inspired by the “Crouch Bot” dance of footballer Peter Crouch.
Mo Farah once auctioned off his signed race bibs to raise money for charity, showing his commitment to giving back to the community.
Farah has a love for classic cars and has been spotted driving around in a vintage Jaguar E-Type, showcasing his appreciation for timeless style.
Despite his intense training regimen, Farah is known to have a sweet tooth and enjoys indulging in treats like chocolate and ice cream in moderation.
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