The Boy Who Runs

Starred review from June 6, 2016
In this fantastic biography, Brant narratives the life of Julius Achon, a boy soldier who was raised in the Langi tribe of Uganda. Achon’s father was nominally a cattle wrangler, but he mostly drank, and his mother cared for the nine children, the mud hut, and the family’s income, which she earned by selling clay pots. As a boy, Achon was kidnapped by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a group of rebels who would go on to terrorize their way into international headlines. He escaped, and with this second chance, he took up competitive running in the hopes it would lead him out of rural Africa; he won local meets and earned a scholarship to private high school; then an American college came calling. He set an NCAA record in the 800 meters and made the Olympics. But back in Uganda, the rebel activity of the LRA was decimating the country, leaving his family starving and terrified. World-class runners can’t afford distraction, and Achon’s attention was increasingly turning toward home. Brant does a beautiful job of chronicling the tension that followed. Indeed, his work is first-rate throughout the book, and it makes for a read-in-one-sitting story. Agent: Sloan Harris, ICM.

June 15, 2016
The inspiring life of a Ugandan middle-distance runner and his journey from bush village to Olympic hopeful.Julius Achon was born during Idi Amin's terrifying reign. A firstborn son who barely survived a potentially fatal measles outbreak, he became charged with the care of his siblings after being frequently abandoned by his herdsman father, who spent the family's meager income on alcohol and gambling. At age 12, Achon was captured by the Lord's Resistance Army and physically and mentally primed for combat. His already "sinuous, efficient, straight-backed stride" and fierce running speed allowed him to escape during an ambush attack and return home. In this segment, sports journalist Brant (Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon, 2006) demonstrates his flair for building suspense. Achon's father advised him to learn to run and "become like John Akii-Bua," who won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1972 Olympics. Empowered and increasingly fearless, the young man trained relentlessly and began advancing in contests within larger arenas and eventually paid for boarding school. In the mid-1990s, having relocated to America, Achon swiftly ascended the competitive ranks in more challenging races. While attending George Mason University, his coach cautioned him not to become preoccupied with the "African witch-doctor tribal stuff, all this rebel civil war junk" in his past. Professional racing beckoned, as did Olympic trials, but after a bittersweet reunion back in Uganda, a return to the States was dampened by the news of his mother's violent death at the hands of the LRA. Achon refocused himself with more philanthropic endeavors, including a children's fund financed by a businessman eager to construct an ultramodern medical facility back in Uganda. With breezy, accessible prose, Brant's profile incorporates African history and insider details on the physical demands of race-running, strategies for success, and how Achon personally paved the way for others like him to succeed with pride and humanitarianism both on the track and in everyday life.A bright, uplifting biography about determination and giving back.

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from August 1, 2016
Two-time Olympian Julius Achon, a middle-distance runner from Uganda, may not have won a gold medal, but his life story is a shining example of the Olympic spirit. Achon's odyssey began at age 12, when he was abducted and forced to become a child soldier of the Lord's Resistance Army, a militant rebel group. After he escaped, his gift as a talented runner punched his ticket out of the war-torn country to compete in world-class events, attend college in the U.S., and eventually to train top American runners at Nike's Oregon Project. Often eating just one meal a day, Achon took on additional jobs to supplement his modest income, most of which he sent to his family and an orphanage back home. A chance encounter with a kindred spirit, Jim Fee, led to expanding his charitable efforts by establishing the Achon Uganda Children's Fund (AUCF). Brant, author of Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon (2006), proves again why he is one of our best sportwriters, masterfully weaving a compelling narrative of an African country at war with the transformation of a young man from athlete to humanitarian.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

June 15, 2016

Brant (Duel in the Sun) offers an inspiring biography of Ugandan runner Julius Achon (b. 1976). A former boy soldier who was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) at age 12, the indefatigable and endlessly resilient Achon eventually escaped his homeland to attend college in the United States, become an Olympic runner, and start a charitable organization to help his home village. The author details Achon's determination to pursue his athletic career after his traumatic childhood and his eventual formation of the Achon Uganda Children's Fund, which later resulted in the creation of a desperately needed health clinic in northern Uganda, as well as support for the area's children. Brant's perceptive work brings needed attention to the untold suffering of Ugandans during the brutal conflict between government forces and the LRA, and especially to the plight of Ugandan children. Achon's difficult journey as an athlete and humanitarian reveals how sport can provide a valuable avenue of hope for those seeking to rise above tragic circumstances, and how true sportsmanship is not about winning but about harnessing strength that contributes toward creating a better world. VERDICT Best suited for running enthusiasts or recreational readers interested in social change. [See Prepub Alert, 2/8/16.]--Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016

Born into poverty in Uganda, Achon was forced into the horrific Lord's Resistance Army at age 12 but escaped to become a gifted local runner and a scholarship student in America, where he set a collegiate record in the 800m that still stands. He subsequently competed in the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics and went on to found the Achon Uganda Children's Fund. Not just for the fleet of foot.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.