Sir Mo Farah has been praised by UK charities and fans after revealing he was trafficked to the UK as a child.
The Olympic gold medallist, 39, shares in his upcoming BBC documentary, The Real Mo Farah, he is an illegal immigrant and was smuggled into the UK by traffickers when he was nine.
Mo reveals he was born Hussein Abdi Kahin in Somaliland and was given the name Mohamed Farah by the people who flew him over from Djibouti and was made to look after another family's children when he arrived in the UK.
After sharing his harrowing story with the world, fans and charities rushed to praise the Team GB athlete.
Writing on Twitter, one fan said: "This makes his stunning rise to Olympic glory even more powerful. The man is one of our greatest ever athletes, and he’s often been denied the credit he deserves."
"What an utterly extraordinary survivor he is," another posted. "Hope this helps some people find a bit more respect and sympathy for refugees and trafficking victims."
One user commented: "Extraordinary. Could Sir Mo Farah be any more impressive? It seems yes. He’s overcome so much. Incredible, heartbreaking."
Charities like Refugee Council also praised Sir Mo's 'bravery' for sharing his deeply traumatic story.
“We salute Sir Mo for his bravery in speaking out about his story,” said Enver Solomon, the chief executive.
“Like so many others he has faced unimaginable pain and by telling his story he is shining a light on global problems which require urgent and meaningful action.
“His candid account of the circumstances which brought him to the UK shows the world that behind every statistic there is a human story which needs to be heard.”
He continued: “It is a story which sends a powerful message that rather than unworkable schemes which treat people as human cargo, there is a desperate need for safe, humane and effective routes for people seeking asylum.
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“There are thousands of children who, like Sir Mo, have had their lives torn apart by war and persecution, many of whom are then cruelly exploited by traffickers.
“We should respond with sympathy and not further cruelty – criminalising the victim is never the answer.
“Sir Mo has made an enormous contribution to UK life, just like thousands of others who arrive on our shores and build new lives and new connections in this country.”
The athlete decided to share his story after 30 years as he wanted to "feel normal" rather than "holding on to something".
* The Real Mo Farah, BBC1, 9pm, Wednesday 13 July.
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