A new BBC documentary has revealed that Olympic hero Sir Mo Farah came to the UK illegally under another child's name.
In the documentary, The Real Mo Farah, the 39 year old said "the truth is I’m not who you think I am," adding he needs to tell his real story "whatever the cost."
The father-of-four explains that although most people know him as Mo Farah that isn't actually his real name.
"The real story is I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin. Despite what I’ve said in the past, my parents never lived in the UK," said Sir Mo.
He continued: "When I was four my dad was killed in the civil war, you know 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."
Sir Mo, who became the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals, said his children have motivated him to be truthful about his past.
He explained: "Family means everything to me and you know, as a parent, you always teach your kids to be honest, but I feel like I’ve always had that private thing where I could never be me and tell what’s really happened.
"I've been keeping it for so long, its been difficult because you don’t want to face it and often my kids ask questions, 'dad, how come this?' And you’ve always got an answer for everything, but you haven’t got an answer for that.
"That’s the main reason in telling my story because I want to feel normal and… don’t feel like you’re holding on to something."
Sir Mo’s wife Tania Nell said in the year leading up to their 2010 wedding she realised "there was lots of missing pieces to his story" but she eventually "wore him down with the questioning" and he told the truth.
During the new documentary, Sir Mo said he thought he was going to Europe to live with relatives and recalled going through a UK passport check under the guise of Mohamed at the age of nine.
He said: "I had all the contact details for my relative and once we got to her house, the lady took it off me and right in front of me ripped them up and put it in the bin and at that moment I knew I was in trouble."
The athlete travelled back to his childhood home in Hounslow recalling "not great memories" where he was not treated as part of the family.
"If I wanted food in my mouth my job was to look after those kids, shower them, cook for them, clean for them, and she said, ‘If you ever want to see your family again, don’t say anything. If you say anything, they will take you away.’
"So she told you don’t talk about anything otherwise I was in big trouble and I guess for me the only things that I could do, in my control was to run away from this was get out and run," he said.
Sir Mo, who named his son Hussein after his real identity, said: "I often think about the other Mohamed Farah, the boy whose place I took on that plane and I really hope he’s OK.
The documentary ends with Sir Mo speaking to the real Mohamed Farah whose identity he took entering the UK.
The Real Mo Farah will air at 6am on BBC iPlayer and 9pm on BBC One on July 13.
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