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Twin Ambitions - My Autobiography
Hodder & Stoughton admire Sir Mo's bravery in revealing his experience of being trafficked as a child. His memoir TWIN AMBITIONS, published in 2013, is based on the story he felt able to tell at the time, which we understood to be the true version of events. It is now clear that Sir Mo did not wish to share some of his difficult early experiences and we respect the decisions he made both then and now.
4 August, 2012. Super Saturday. On the most electric night in the history of British sport, Mo Farah braved the pain and punishment to seize Olympic gold in the 10,000m - and in the process went from being a talented athlete to a national treasure. Seven days later, Mo seized his second gold at the 5000m to go where no British distance runner has gone before. In 2016 Mo acheived an even more stunning feat at the Rio Olympic Games, successfully defending both his titles to complete an extraordinary double-double.
Records have tumbled before him: European track records at 1500m, 5000m indoors, and 10,000m; British track records at 5000m, 3000m indoors and 10k on the road have all fallen to Mohamed 'Mo' Farah: the boy from Somalia who came to Britain at the age of eight, leaving behind his twin brother, and with just a few words of English, and a natural talent for running.
TWIN AMBITIONS is much more than an autobiography by a great Olympic champion. It's a moving human story of a man who grew up in difficult circumstances, separated from his family at an early age, who struggled to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become Britain's most decorated Olympic track-and-field athlete ever.
4 August, 2012. Super Saturday. On the most electric night in the history of British sport, Mo Farah braved the pain and punishment to seize Olympic gold in the 10,000m - and in the process went from being a talented athlete to a national treasure. Seven days later, Mo seized his second gold at the 5000m to go where no British distance runner has gone before. In 2016 Mo acheived an even more stunning feat at the Rio Olympic Games, successfully defending both his titles to complete an extraordinary double-double.
Records have tumbled before him: European track records at 1500m, 5000m indoors, and 10,000m; British track records at 5000m, 3000m indoors and 10k on the road have all fallen to Mohamed 'Mo' Farah: the boy from Somalia who came to Britain at the age of eight, leaving behind his twin brother, and with just a few words of English, and a natural talent for running.
TWIN AMBITIONS is much more than an autobiography by a great Olympic champion. It's a moving human story of a man who grew up in difficult circumstances, separated from his family at an early age, who struggled to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become Britain's most decorated Olympic track-and-field athlete ever.
400 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2013
50 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Mo Farah
13 books4 followersSir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah (Arabic: محمد فرح) CBE OLY (born 23 March 1983), commonly known as Mo Farah or Sir Mo Farah, is a British long-distance runner and the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history.
(source: Wikipedia)
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 19, 2024
I was truly captivated by this book. Mo's journey is nothing short of remarkable, and his authentic storytelling makes it even more compelling.
His resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit are truly inspiring. I found his account of his youth and the mischievous adventures he shared with his twin particularly engaging. Learning about his dyslexia and his struggles with education resonated deeply with me.
The challenges he faced when moving to a new country and adapting to a different culture and educational system were incredibly eye-opening. Despite these obstacles, Mo embodies ambition, motivation, generosity, and kindness, and his dedication to family is truly heartwarming. His story serves as a powerful reminder that one's background and circumstances do not determine their potential.
It doesn't matter what things you do or don't have or where you happen to be born. It's about what's inside you and what determination you have to make that passion become a reality.
While the pace of the book was slower, it offers a profound and insightful look into the life of a remarkable individual. Whether you're a fan of athletics or simply enjoy autobiographies, I highly recommend giving this book a read.
His resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit are truly inspiring. I found his account of his youth and the mischievous adventures he shared with his twin particularly engaging. Learning about his dyslexia and his struggles with education resonated deeply with me.
The challenges he faced when moving to a new country and adapting to a different culture and educational system were incredibly eye-opening. Despite these obstacles, Mo embodies ambition, motivation, generosity, and kindness, and his dedication to family is truly heartwarming. His story serves as a powerful reminder that one's background and circumstances do not determine their potential.
It doesn't matter what things you do or don't have or where you happen to be born. It's about what's inside you and what determination you have to make that passion become a reality.
While the pace of the book was slower, it offers a profound and insightful look into the life of a remarkable individual. Whether you're a fan of athletics or simply enjoy autobiographies, I highly recommend giving this book a read.
August 9, 2014
There is absolutely no doubt in the world that this book is worth any less than 5 stars, I don't believe there are even enough stars in the entire universe that would justify the greatness of this autobiography. I am an absolutely huge fan of Mo Farah and when my sister bought this book for me for my birthday I was over the moon with excitement. I began reading the book immediately. The book begins with Mo Farah's childhood and family life, I couldn't believe that Mo Farah used to obsess over football, I thought that all athletes had to start with the sport they loved from a very young age to be able to succeed in their chosen event,clearly I was wrong. He proved to me that with dedication and passion towards your hobby, you can achieve whatever you aim for.
Even though I was already a fan of Mo Farah before I read the book and knew how successful he was and the records and titles he possessed, Mo Farah described the races so well and the race day tension he was experiencing I completely forgot what races he had or hadn't won, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation waiting to find out what time he had clocked or what position he had ran through the line at. Which may sound stupid considering I already knew many of the results mentioned in the book.
I loved hearing about Mo's mischief and how he was torn away from his twin, Hassan, as a young boy and how the two brothers were reunited in later life.
This book has inspired me to run longer distances at higher speeds, this book has inspired me to put 110% effort into all of my training, to attend the gym more and eat a healthier diet, but most importantly this book has inspired me to follow my dreams.
This books genre is autobiography and sport but I strongly believe the true genre of this book is self help, because this book helped me.
thanks, Mo :)
Even though I was already a fan of Mo Farah before I read the book and knew how successful he was and the records and titles he possessed, Mo Farah described the races so well and the race day tension he was experiencing I completely forgot what races he had or hadn't won, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation waiting to find out what time he had clocked or what position he had ran through the line at. Which may sound stupid considering I already knew many of the results mentioned in the book.
I loved hearing about Mo's mischief and how he was torn away from his twin, Hassan, as a young boy and how the two brothers were reunited in later life.
This book has inspired me to run longer distances at higher speeds, this book has inspired me to put 110% effort into all of my training, to attend the gym more and eat a healthier diet, but most importantly this book has inspired me to follow my dreams.
This books genre is autobiography and sport but I strongly believe the true genre of this book is self help, because this book helped me.
thanks, Mo :)
January 7, 2015
This book has really really inspired me. Many people will argue with this but I am Mo Farah's legit No.1 fan! Just to know of what he had when he was young to then adapt to his new surrounding when he moved to London and become Britains best athlete ever..... Wow!? My favourite part was about 30 pages in when Mo had moved to London and saw what it was like.... 'C'mon then'. It was my least favourite part when the twins were separated :( . I would recommend this to all of those runners out there like me who need some inspiration but, I would mainly recommend this to anyone who likes reading life changing stories. This book would also be great to give to anyone who takes what they have for granted.
March 13, 2014
A must read for any athletics fan. I found out a lot I didn't know about Mo which isn't always the case with autobiographies. Also the beginning kept me interested as his early life is fascinating.
December 14, 2013
Am a big athletics fan and have read many athletics biographies and this was definitely one of the better ones
January 5, 2014
Inspirational!
April 28, 2024
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of an individual's journey from humble beginnings to achieving remarkable success. Mohammed Farah faced significant challenges, including racism and a previously undiagnosed learning disability, during his upbringing.
Despite these obstacles, Mo Farah relocated from Somaliland to the United Kingdom at a young age with limited English proficiency but a strong passion for football. Over the course of the next 15 years, he transformed into a multi-world and Olympic champion in long-distance running, earning two gold medals and stamping his mark as one of the greats in history.
Despite these obstacles, Mo Farah relocated from Somaliland to the United Kingdom at a young age with limited English proficiency but a strong passion for football. Over the course of the next 15 years, he transformed into a multi-world and Olympic champion in long-distance running, earning two gold medals and stamping his mark as one of the greats in history.
February 23, 2020
I’ve actually seen Mo in person, at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix in Birmingham, when I ran in a pre-show race. It was amazing, and so I loved learning about his life. Shoutout to all the Alans in his life haha.
July 21, 2021
He has a really interesting story to tell, but he's not really the greatest writer. Also would have loved some more of the Salazar stuff. Still a decent read.
June 21, 2017
I am a huge fan of Mo Farah; this is the autobiography I have been waiting for with great anticipation since London 2012. With the number of athletes autobiographies and great performances coming from post London 2012 my expectations were high. This book delivers. This is one of the best books I have read all year. If you are just a casual fan his or just want to know more about the training, achievements, dedication, sacrifices and rewards of one of the greatest distance runner of our generation, this book will push you the rest of the converting anyone to a full-fledged fan. As a British Muslim as well I respect and applaud Mo's for keeping to his beliefs, but not forcing them on anyone else at the same time respecting other people's beliefs and opinions.
Every time I had seen Mo on TV racing or being interviewed he has always been smiling, polite and dignified. Even in the infamous post marathon interview where the presenter had no idea who he was. When I watched I though he showed his class by trying not to embarrass the lady. He does talk about the incident in the book, and once again show what a classy person he is. Having said that it was nice to see the more private side of Mo's personality the mischievous, daredevil, mick taker as well. I don't know if it is from being a twin but doubles and the number 2 seem to follow Mo around a lot in his championships. Being one of the few men to be double, double champion is evident of this.
The book starts off from young days in Somalia, and his introduction to running with his hilarious adventures trying to watch the The Mysterious Cities Of Gold: The Complete Series BBC (slim-line version) [DVD], (great show I had a much easier time watching it but I can understand why he was so obsessed with it). Mo's writing style mirrors his personality. He is happy with what he has. He never saw himself or his family as disadvantages. They had what they had and they made do. He talks about the big change to moving to England. Again seeing the way Mo is it is hard to imagine Mo being a disrupting or aggressive, but he was young and in an unfamiliar environment it is understandable.
Mo gives full credit to the people who have helped him from his PE teacher, who noticed his talent early on and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure Mo could fulfil his potential, to all his friends and competitors who helped or pushed him to be the best he could be. Mo goes out of his way to say his success is not all down to him. He talks about the work he had to put in and slowly raising up the ranks. The Sacrifices he and those around him had to make. He talks about the dangers and distractions of the life he has chosen. The incredible rewards of winning and the heart break of losing. All of this has contributed to keeping him humble and grounded.
He is open and honest about his personal feelings. The races he loses he is honest with what he thinks when wrong and give respect to his competitors saying they were better on the day. He shows he is not a Robot (or Mobot), he can have bad days like the rest of us, and unfortunately his bad days tend to be more public then the average persons. The talk about race tactics and the importance of proper preparation. The balancing act between getting your training just right, under training will lead to disaster, but over training can be just as disastrous. The mental toughness you need to develop during training, dealing with the media, and set back. The Championship mentality to keep going no matter what.
He talk about the Mo Farah Foundation the great work he is doing with that to give back to the country of his birth, and the work and scholarships he has set up in England to help aspiring young athletes get what they need in the way of coaching and financial help. Which Mo calls giving back to the sport, not many people would do this as quickly on their career. Considering this foundation was only started in 2011 which was Mo's breakout year on the world stage, it is amazing the work they have done already.
This is a great inspirational book, which can be enjoyed by all fans and has insights and wisdom for aspiring athletes as well, of not only training but how to deal with fans, the media, the negatives and positives of success. A great I would recommend it to anyone.
Every time I had seen Mo on TV racing or being interviewed he has always been smiling, polite and dignified. Even in the infamous post marathon interview where the presenter had no idea who he was. When I watched I though he showed his class by trying not to embarrass the lady. He does talk about the incident in the book, and once again show what a classy person he is. Having said that it was nice to see the more private side of Mo's personality the mischievous, daredevil, mick taker as well. I don't know if it is from being a twin but doubles and the number 2 seem to follow Mo around a lot in his championships. Being one of the few men to be double, double champion is evident of this.
The book starts off from young days in Somalia, and his introduction to running with his hilarious adventures trying to watch the The Mysterious Cities Of Gold: The Complete Series BBC (slim-line version) [DVD], (great show I had a much easier time watching it but I can understand why he was so obsessed with it). Mo's writing style mirrors his personality. He is happy with what he has. He never saw himself or his family as disadvantages. They had what they had and they made do. He talks about the big change to moving to England. Again seeing the way Mo is it is hard to imagine Mo being a disrupting or aggressive, but he was young and in an unfamiliar environment it is understandable.
Mo gives full credit to the people who have helped him from his PE teacher, who noticed his talent early on and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure Mo could fulfil his potential, to all his friends and competitors who helped or pushed him to be the best he could be. Mo goes out of his way to say his success is not all down to him. He talks about the work he had to put in and slowly raising up the ranks. The Sacrifices he and those around him had to make. He talks about the dangers and distractions of the life he has chosen. The incredible rewards of winning and the heart break of losing. All of this has contributed to keeping him humble and grounded.
He is open and honest about his personal feelings. The races he loses he is honest with what he thinks when wrong and give respect to his competitors saying they were better on the day. He shows he is not a Robot (or Mobot), he can have bad days like the rest of us, and unfortunately his bad days tend to be more public then the average persons. The talk about race tactics and the importance of proper preparation. The balancing act between getting your training just right, under training will lead to disaster, but over training can be just as disastrous. The mental toughness you need to develop during training, dealing with the media, and set back. The Championship mentality to keep going no matter what.
He talk about the Mo Farah Foundation the great work he is doing with that to give back to the country of his birth, and the work and scholarships he has set up in England to help aspiring young athletes get what they need in the way of coaching and financial help. Which Mo calls giving back to the sport, not many people would do this as quickly on their career. Considering this foundation was only started in 2011 which was Mo's breakout year on the world stage, it is amazing the work they have done already.
This is a great inspirational book, which can be enjoyed by all fans and has insights and wisdom for aspiring athletes as well, of not only training but how to deal with fans, the media, the negatives and positives of success. A great I would recommend it to anyone.
September 28, 2019
Iedeva izlasīt Ansis Ozoliņa jaunskungs. Grāmata sarakstīta 2013. gadā, tātad daļa no Mo Farah lielajiem sasniegumiem tajā nemaz nav iekļauti. Tomēr sasniegumu tāpat daudz, beidzot ar Londonas olimpiskajām spēlēm un pasaules čempionāta gadu vēlāk. Iedvesmojoši. Tomēr, cik var saprast no grāmatas beidzamās nodaļas, Mo jau 2013. gadā, startējot Londonas maratona pusītē, bijusi vēlme tur atgriezties, lai jau 2014. gadā noskrietu pilno maratona distanci. Interesanti, kāpēc viņa domas mainījās un līdz maratonam viņš tika tikai pērngad, četrus gadus vēlāk par plānoto? Par to, cerams, varēsim lasīt kādā no viņa nākamajām grāmatām..?
October 19, 2017
I really enjoyed the information about Mo’s upbringing and the culture in Somaliland. Interesting to think about race and privilege and what help was available for him once his talent was spotted.
As I should have expected, lots about his individual races, which got a little boring (I’m afraid) after a while...and I love races!
As I should have expected, lots about his individual races, which got a little boring (I’m afraid) after a while...and I love races!
April 18, 2020
Not particularly insightful if you've read any kind of running literature before. As for Farah himself, having known little of Farah as a person beforehand, I can't say I came out of this feeling much different.
January 19, 2014
This is definitely a good read, a humble but brilliant athlete. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.
February 24, 2014
A lovely shy guy who is humble and tells of his hard work, sacrifice & dedication to get where he is. A motivating story for runners and non runners alike!
August 14, 2017
Great athlete, enjoyed hearing his story but Mo is no writer 😉
January 13, 2019
An interesting read but standard sport biography- linear and formulaic. Hardship to success.
While it’s insightful in parts you only really get a 2 dimensional view of Farah the athlete
While it’s insightful in parts you only really get a 2 dimensional view of Farah the athlete
March 1, 2014
Interesting reading especially if u r a runner which I am
January 28, 2020
I picked this book up on a whim from my local library & was skeptical that it would be of much interest as I already knew about his twin brother & I was skeptical about his relationship with Alberto Salazar and well.. I thought distance training was boring.
How can he make running 100+ miles a week interesting I thought? Well he did!
This is a book about dedication and sacrifice and what goes into being a champion. It's about a young boy who just wanted to make friends on the football field that just so happened to allow himself to be talked into an athletic career & just so happened to have the drive & the desire to learn & the hunger to win & the ability to make sacrifices that very few ever would & the persistence to train for 17 years towards the ultimate goal... to become olympic champion.
It couldn't have happened to a nicer man.
How can he make running 100+ miles a week interesting I thought? Well he did!
This is a book about dedication and sacrifice and what goes into being a champion. It's about a young boy who just wanted to make friends on the football field that just so happened to allow himself to be talked into an athletic career & just so happened to have the drive & the desire to learn & the hunger to win & the ability to make sacrifices that very few ever would & the persistence to train for 17 years towards the ultimate goal... to become olympic champion.
It couldn't have happened to a nicer man.
January 29, 2021
Not a book I would have seeked out but having been giving it for Christmas I thought I would give it a go.
I was aware of Mo's running exploits but to learn about his up bringing and what he has had to go through to get where he is today was eye opening.
Especially how many fights he got into...who would have thought the mild mannered Mo used to wield a pool cue.
I also appreciate the difficult choices he made during his life, whether it be living with his aunt or moving coaches when he had had success as he knew he needed more to achieve his goals.
It is also good to see the British public shown in a good light. Alan Watkinson should be knighted as well for what he did for Mo!
All in all a good book and a good insight into Mo....might even go for a run now.
I was aware of Mo's running exploits but to learn about his up bringing and what he has had to go through to get where he is today was eye opening.
Especially how many fights he got into...who would have thought the mild mannered Mo used to wield a pool cue.
I also appreciate the difficult choices he made during his life, whether it be living with his aunt or moving coaches when he had had success as he knew he needed more to achieve his goals.
It is also good to see the British public shown in a good light. Alan Watkinson should be knighted as well for what he did for Mo!
All in all a good book and a good insight into Mo....might even go for a run now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2025
Ciężko ocenić książkę, której treść okazuje się jedynie pół prawdą. Uważam, albo raczej mam nadzieję, że chociaż sportowe życie, przemyślenia i wszystko związane ze sportem na tym najwyższym poziomie, jest opisane wiarygodnie. Żal mi Mo, z powodu krzywdy jaka go spotkała w dzieciństwie, ale czuję się oszukana przez to, że opisał w autobiografii wymyśloną historię swojego dzieciństwa. Aż nie możliwe wydaje mi się, by tyle lat żyć w kłamstwie, czuć się kimś innym i nie mieć odwagi powiedzieć prawdy. Za to do jego sportowych osiągnięć szacunek mam olbrzymi! Przez długi czas nie będzie lepszego długodystansowca od niego!
July 7, 2024
I listened to this as an audiobook. The narration was great and easy to follow.
I really enjoyed this book. There's loads of things I didn't know about Mo Farah, and a bunch of things I thought I knew which were revealed to be fake news by the media.
The only thing was that I really wanted to know more about Mo and his twin and the dynamics of their relationship. I thought that would be a bit more apparent due to the name of the book. I'm a twin myself and just couldn't imagine being separated for so long in childhood, but this book kind of skirts over it. Maybe because they're over it, but still, it was just the area of my curiosity which wasn't satisfied.
Overall, great book though!
I really enjoyed this book. There's loads of things I didn't know about Mo Farah, and a bunch of things I thought I knew which were revealed to be fake news by the media.
The only thing was that I really wanted to know more about Mo and his twin and the dynamics of their relationship. I thought that would be a bit more apparent due to the name of the book. I'm a twin myself and just couldn't imagine being separated for so long in childhood, but this book kind of skirts over it. Maybe because they're over it, but still, it was just the area of my curiosity which wasn't satisfied.
Overall, great book though!
May 30, 2017
What a nice guy and great story. Another winner who took over ten years of hard work before success was even a possible goal. Also was extremely willing to try out new things and always wants to learn from others. Proximity is power. Environment is key to success. Immerse yourself with like minded people.
December 13, 2021
Entertaining, easy to ready and interesting, even if you are not a running fan. It has what an athlete's memoir should have (and which many miss), this is: the personal insights and personal story that only the athlete could tell, sharing hard moments, and lessons that can be extrapolated to others in other areas of life.
April 17, 2025
I really enjoyed the start where he talked about his childhood and how he started his career in running. By it's very nature it got a little dull in the middle where he just talked about races but overall a really interesting read.
June 9, 2017
I enjoyed reading this more than I thought I would. It's an incredibly honest insight into his life and career up until 2013.
March 13, 2019
One star off because it didnt cover his whole career.
February 2, 2020
3.5 stars
May 31, 2020
SIR MO
October 27, 2020
Easy read about a thoroughly decent guy
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews