I knew nobody could beat me in the last lap: Distance runner Mo Farah

The faint murmur inside the conference room eased as the large screen came to life. A video played back memories of Mo Farah's greatest athletics achievements.

- Shahid Judge

MUMBAI: The faint murmur inside the conference room eased as the large screen came to life. A video played back memories of Mo Farah's greatest athletics achievements. There were the two gold medals in the men's 10,000m and 5,000m races from the 2012 London Olympics. There were the crowning moments as he defended those titles in Rio four years later, celebrating with his famous Mobot pose.

But on stage a few minutes later, Farah recalled a memory of him staring at a television screen – one that set him on a path to becoming one of the greatest runners to have graced an athletics track.

"It was that moment at the Sydney Olympics (in 2000) when it came down to the strong finish between Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat at the 10,000m final," said Farah, who is the event ambassador at this year's Tata Mumbai Marathon. "I went, 'wow, I want to become an Olympic champion.' That was my mindset (there on)."

Along with the four Olympic triumphs are six World Championship gold medals. But amidst the glitter of the titles and the glamour that came with the wins, Farah recalled his harsh beginnings.

Born in Somalia, his father was killed during a civil war when he was four. By the time he was nine, he was sent to England as a victim of child trafficking.