In a new BBC documentary, The Real Mo Farah, Olympic champion Mo Farah reveals he was trafficked to London from Somalia by a stranger at the age of eight and made to work for her family in exchange for food.
MORE: The Real Mo Farah: Everything you need to know about BBC documentary
It wasn't until Mo went to secondary school at Feltham Community College and confided his story in his PE teacher, Alan Watkinson, who then contacted social services, that he was moved to a foster family for his protection.
HELLO! spoke to Mo in August 2021 for an article about getting children involved in sport, and in our interview the sporting legend and father-of-four opened up about his teen years, crediting his PE teacher for his success.
WATCH: Sir Mo Farah opens up about his life in new documentary
Mo told us that he had a love of running from an early age, revealing: "For me, it was the age of eight, and then I went to secondary school and it was my PE teacher who supported me, took me to the local club.
"If it wasn't for him getting me involved and helping me, taking me to running and taking that step forward, I don't think I would have ever joined the athletics club."
READ: Sir Mo Farah makes heartbreaking revelation about his past
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Mo is the most successful male track distance runner ever
Before athletics became his passion, Mo loved to play football: "Growing up, all I ever wanted to do was play football and I honestly thought I was great at football!" he said.
The turning point came after attending a training camp with his athletics club. "I started getting into the right frame of mind, thinking about athletics, what I needed to do and what it involved," he recalled.
"It involved going to the running club twice a week, even sometimes three times, and on the weekend, we always met up around the park and the coach would be there. We'd do some hills, have a laugh and then we'd go home. It was never about work, work, work. It was work, but there was a fun part of it."
Mo with his wife and children
In the documentary, Sir Mo explains that sport was "the only thing I could do to get away from this [living situation] was to get out and run".
Telling viewers his real life story, Mo explains: "Despite what I've said in the past, my parents never lived in the U.K. When I was 4, my dad was killed in a civil war."
"As a family, we were torn apart. I was separated from my mother and I was brought into the UK illegally, under the name of another child called Mohamed Farah."
Mo has since been reunited with his mother, and the Home Office confirmed on Monday night that he would not face any repercussions. "No action whatsoever will be taken against Sir Mo and to suggest otherwise is wrong," a spokesperson said.
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