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At the age of 12, Gabriyesos fled his native country, Eritrea, and walked through the desert to reach Israel. The journey took him months, and since then, he’s been honoring refugee struggle and grit through the act of running.

Gabriyesos finished 16th in the marathon (2:14:02) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and even acted as the flag-bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team at the opening ceremony. “My message is that to be a refugee is not easy,” Gabriyesos told Africa News in an interview. “Sometimes people are forced to run away from things to look for a good life.”

Running in Belgrade was a symbolic act for the young runner. The city is the capital of Serbia and often serves as a route for those trying to reach Western Europe. Many Eritreans are among those seeking a new place to call home.

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Gabriyesos doesn’t like discussing the horrors of growing up in the middle of a war, but he recalls leaving his little village in 2010. A friend, age 13, accompanied him on his journey to find his aunt in Israel. Together, the two walked through Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, and Israel, staying in refugee camps along the way.

In Israel, Gabriyesos attended school—and that’s where his running journey began. Teachers provided him with all the equipment he needed to pick up the pace. “I had been fond of running even before I left [Eritrea],” he said to the AP. “I got a coach, who is my coach now as well. He is like a father to me and a man who is part of my life.”

The marathoner earned an International Olympic Committee Refugee Athlete Scholarship, which allowed him to compete in Tokyo with other athletes who could not represent their home countries.

Gabriyesos is now working to renew his Israeli citizenship while preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics in 2024. With every step, he hopes to inspire refugees to stay strong. “It is a long journey and a huge challenge,” Gabriyesos told the AP. “It is not easy to leave your family, to leave your mother ... but one must never give up.”