Peter Bol was four years old when his family fled war-torn Sudan to a refugee camp in Egypt.
After four long years in the squalor and poverty of the camp, his life changed forever when the family flew to a bright new future in Australia.
Fast forward 19 years and Bol is still running - for Australia...and faster than any Australian before him.
On Sunday night, he left the rest of the field shaking in his wake as he won the semi final of the 800m track event in an Australian record time of 1:44.11.
Peter Bol fled war-torn Sudan to a refugee camp in Egypt before starting a new life in Australia. He won his semi-final of the 800m race on Sunday and is now a favourite for an Olympic medal
A teacher at his school in Perth spotted Bol's potential as a runner after watching him compete in a cross country event at 16 and persuaded him to try more running
He cruised over the finishing line, even relaxing long enough to wag his finger in celebration, to become the first Aussie in 53 years to make an 800m Olympic final since Ralph Doubell won gold in Mexico City in 1968.
But he's never forgotten the sensation of hope and relief he and his family felt when they stepped off the plane in Australia on arriving in 2002.
'It was completely different, it was just nice, even the air was fresh and it was just a feeling – pretty much the same feeling if you just made it to the Olympics – a feeling of excitement,' he admitted in 2016.
'We came to Australia for the obvious reason – Australia is one of the best countries in the world ... I have been around a few countries and Australia is the best country to be in so my family definitely made the right choice.'
On Sunday night, Bol (pictured) left the rest of the field shaking in his wake as he won the semi final of the 800m track event in an Australian record time of 1:44.11
Bol (pictured) is the first Aussie in 53 years to make an 800m Olympic final since Ralph Doubell won gold in Mexico City in 1968
He added: 'I don't have much memories from back home in Sudan, there was a civil war at the time and we made a move to Egypt to come through to Australia.
'[In] Egypt, I just remember always being with my family, it was still a bit difficult to be in, it was a bit tough over there to live. It wasn't all good memories.'
That all changed when he arrived in Australia, first in Queensland before moving to Perth and later to Melbourne.
But he only fell into the
