Marco Arop’s journey from fleeing war with his family to becoming world 800m champion: “It truly takes a village”
The newly-crowned world gold medallist cites the support he received from family, coaches and community as the reason behind his track & field success. But he’s just as eager to give back as he looks to help the next generation of athletes fulfil their own dreams in the sport.
When Canadian middle distance runner Marco Arop talks about the role his mother had in him becoming the athlete he is today, his admiration for her seems to know no bounds.
“Growing up, she overcame so much, the sacrifices both her and my father made over the years, raising six boys, it wasn’t always pretty and she went through a lot of stress,” says the new world 800m champion in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.
“I’ve witnessed it and to see her overcome these challenges and still come out with a smile and be her best self, I think in my eyes she’s the hardest working person, she inspires me in so many aspects of my life.”
In the late 1990s, Arop’s parents fled civil war in Abyei, Sudan in search of a “better life” for their young family. After spending three years in Egypt they moved to Canada, where the couple and their four boys - Marco being the youngest at the time - began a new life in Saskatoon.
Things weren't always easy as they started from scratch in a new land, with a completely different language and culture than they were used to. However, Arop witnessed his parents graft every day to get by and remains eternally grateful for the hope-filled journey they undertook to provide new opportunities for their sons.
“They made the sacrifice of leaving their families, leaving their homes behind in search of a better life,” he says.
“I think that’s definitely something that we try not to take for granted because we don’t understand what goes on in their minds.
“They have worked day in and day out ever since coming to Canada. All I’ve ever seen from them was hard work and dedication and just supporting their children. And I think that’s inspired not only myself but the rest of my brothers to live up to this and do the best that we can in whatever fields. To almost live the dreams that my parents had for us.”
Marco Arop: “The support behind me, it truly takes a village and this is just an example of that.”
Back then, nobody could have imagined that the life these young parents dreamed of for Arop would include becoming a sporting hero - the first 800m world champion in Canadian history.
However, this was exactly what the 24-year-old went on to achieve at the recent World Athletics Championships when he crossed the line in 1:44.24 to win a historic gold in Budapest.
Arop acknowledges that personal hard work and a dedication to his sport were an imperative part of the victory, however he is first and foremost quick to thank the many people who helped him along his way.
“The support behind me, it truly takes a village and this is just an example of that,” he says before listing the ways in which the support he has received has helped him become one of Canada’s greatest athletes.
“I know I would not be where I am today without all the people that have supported me and helped me. That includes my coaches, my mentors, my therapists - I have to listen to them.
“Even my parents, they’re not too involved in my track career but I do listen to the advice that they give because it all comes out of a place of love and care.”
Marco Arop: Giving back by helping the next generation
Before competing in Budapest, Arop was named captain of Team Canada at the Worlds.
It seemed a fitting honour for someone who has become well-known on the athletics circuit for helping others both on his own team and even those he is competing against.
In Arop’s eyes, it is a privilege that he is able to return the support he received from others to a new generation who are making their way in the sport.
“I’ve watched and studied other athletes that are not even in my field and I’ve been inspired and learned a lot, and I think it’s almost my duty to do the same for others if somebody comes to me for guidance,” he says.
“I think it’s an honour to be able to share my experience and hopefully they learn something from it.
“That’s what makes everything worthwhile, knowing that I don’t only get to enjoy these accomplishments myself, to know that other people are benefiting from it as well - it just means so much more.”
The rise of Marco Arop: from basketball-mad child to Canadian history maker
Arop’s gold in Budapest was historic in more than one way - not only because he became Canada’s maiden 800m world champion but also because he is the first male to win an individual gold on the track since Donovan Bailey all the way back in 1995.
However, the story is even more remarkable when you take into account that the athlete hadn’t even taken up track seriously until 2016.
As a basketball-loving teenager, his running promise was first spotted by his hoops coach who recommended that he give athletics a try.
His rise since then has been astronomic, competing in his first World Championships just three years later in 2019 in Doha, representing his country at Tokyo 2020, winning bronze at Oregon 2022 and now gold at this year’s editions of the Worlds.
It stands to reason that Arop will now be a beacon of hope for a new generation of Canadian athletes, who see in him what he himself saw in so many of the greats since the first 800m race he remembers watching when David Rudisha stormed to a new world record at London 2012.
“It’s an amazing time to be a Canadian track fan and I’m so glad I can be a part of this team and to come out and perform the way I did on the world stage alongside so many other athletes, it’s incredible,” he explains.
“We have so many people we looked up to getting to this point and to think that this performance will inspire generations to come, I think that’s what this is all about.”
But when asked what advice he would give the young children who will look at his performances and want to follow in his footsteps, Arop’s thoughts once again centre not just on the personal effort he put into becoming world champion but the people that have helped mould him into the athlete he is today.
“It’s easy to look at somebody and think that following them, doing exactly what they do is going to work, but [it's more about] just truly finding what works for you, finding the right support team around you, and trusting in those people,” he says.
“And then of course you have to put in the work, you have to sacrifice, work hard now and then enjoy the success later.
“I think that’s something that’s been implemented early on in my career and it’s just almost a cycle during the day’s training.
“You take it day by day, you take it one step at a time, and as long as you can get that right, focusing on the small things, over time it snowballs into a big accomplishment.”
*Marco Arop races in the 800m at the Diamond League final in Eugene on Sunday 17 September. *