Dahir Mohamed runs for fun. He used to run to stay alive.
Running cross-country at Southwestern College is easy compared to the running he had to do as a child in poverty-stricken Egypt and war-torn Somalia. The only guns to worry about now are the starter pistols.
Mohamed finished fifth in the California State Cross-Country Championship in Fresno and is the star of the SWC team. The wayfaring teenager who had never ran competitively and never attended school is now a recruiting target of major universities.
Too poor to attend school in his native Egypt, Mohamed was taught at home by his mother before fleeing poverty to live with his father in Somalia. He played soccer and ran away from trouble in the volatile east African nation now famous for its audacious pirates. When he was 13 he moved to San Diego to live with his uncle.
Mohamed had never attended school until he enrolled at Roosevelt Middle School in San Diego.
"My mom was pretty much my own teacher," said Mohamed. "She basically taught me in the house. When I got here it was a whole different thing. I had never been to school and I didn't understand what the teacher was saying."
It took time for Mohamed to learn English. He worked hard in school and discovered a talent for languages. He learned English and then Spanish, his fourth language. He also speaks Arabic and Somali.
SWC coach Dr. Duro Agbede, himself a running protégé from Africa, invited Mohamed to attend SWC after watching him run for Hoover High School. Agbede's legendary training programs have pushed Mohamed from a middle of-the-pack runner to a standout.
"I got to say he is one hell of a coach," said Mohamed "I love Coach Duro's workouts even though they are tough."
Mohamed begins with a 6:30 a.m. workout run. He then takes a shower and goes to class, he is taking 18 units. Next he goes to the training room for weight work, then another class. After that he goes to practice then it's time to do homework. He gets home around 7:30 p.m.
As a college student he has to balance sports and education.
"Being a freshman in college is not the business," said Mohamed, "but I'm getting it."
Mohamed said he is honored to be considered the team's star. He said it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. His goal is to attend a powerhouse university like UCLA or go to a school in Arizona.
"Depending on how I do at the end of the year this will be my last semester," said Mohamed.
Though eager to get to an NCAA university Mohamed said he loves the SWC cross-country team.
"I don't want to leave this team," he said.
Agbede has his runners very focused, Mohamed said.
"He tells us that running is your only boyfriend and girlfriend," he said. "He pays attention to our grades."
Mohamed said that he never experienced his family being together and that the team is his American family.
"I never had that family," he said. "Like being at the table together."
Mohamed said he has learned to not be nervous when competing. All he needs to do is to run and the rest will come through.
"Just focus on yourself then focus on what the rival is doing," said Mohamed. "I try to stay up and be real competitive."
And, he said, it is better to run towards a goal than away from problems.
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