DOMINIC LOBALU
In association with Swiss performance brand On, new feature film The Right to Race documents distance runner and On athlete Dominic Lobalu’s extraordinary journey
Anine-year-old boy orphaned by war in South Sudan, Dominic Lobalu escaped to a refugee camp in Northern Kenya before being discovered on the streets of Nairobi and eventually finding a home with the Athlete Refugee Team. Dominic’s remarkable story of personal growth, courage and gripping determination in his quest for representation is now revealed in a full-length feature film.
In 2017, at age 19, Dominic was recruited by the Athlete Refugee Team’s renowned Olympian, founder and coach, Tegla Loroupe. However, while travelling overseas in Geneva for an international competition, Dominic left the team unannounced and sought asylum in Switzerland, forfeiting any chance of representing the official Olympic Refugee Team in Tokyo.
At age 21, Dominic had a chance meeting with Markus Hagmann, his soon-to-be mentor and coach, who eventually took the runner under his wing, developing his mental and physical strength as a competitive athlete. Winning the Diamond League 3,000m in Stockholm in 2022, his first Diamond League event, was the beginning of Dominic’s journey as an elite competitor, challenging the world’s best.
Now 24, he is currently excluded from official Refugee teams and has up to ten years before being granted citizenship to represent his own nation…
Men’s Fitness: What does running mean to you?
Dominic Lobalu: When I run, I feel free and happy. It is my way of expressing myself. Others have a talent for playing the piano, tennis or dancing, I have a talent for running. I always dreamed of the Olympic Games. And I hope I can fulfil this dream with running.
MF: How important has Markus Hagmann been in your life?
DL: You can’t achieve top performance if you don’t have a good environment. Markus helped me in all areas. He is not only a former elite runner who became my coach, but also supported me in integrating into a world that was foreign to me. And all this alongside his work as a secondary school teacher and father of two children, sometimes referring to me as his “third child”. I think without him, his family and friends, I wouldn’t be the athlete and person I am today.
MF:
