Thursday 8 December 2016 19:06, UK
Frankie Dettori paid tribute to aspiring teenage jockey Abdul Kareem Musa Adam after he claimed the Young Achiever of the Year Award at the Mirror Pride of Sport Awards.
Adam has overcome incredible adversity, having been forced to flee a small village in Darfur at the age of seven after it was bombed in 2004, killing his parents and sisters.
He then fled a refugee camp in Chad before travelling to Libya two years later. When war broke out, he was imprisoned for refusing to fight and was beaten so badly he ended up in hospital.
Adam escaped across the Mediterranean to Europe at the age of 14 and having slept rough in France for 18 months, he made his way to Swindon where he was granted asylum.
After being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he was referred to Greatwood, the Wiltshire-based charity which uses ex-racehorses to educate disadvantaged children.
They helped to reignite his childhood love of horses and supported his application to the Northern Racing College near Doncaster where he is currently undertaking a Foundation Course to become a professional jockey.
Dettori said: "I came to Britain as a young man with a dream and through our shared love of horses this country took me to its heart and I am proud to call it home.
"It is impossible to imagine what Abdul has been through to get here but now Britain, and the horseracing world in particular, has given him a home and a purpose in life.
"We read so much about what divides us but sports and especially Abdul's incredible story show us what we have in common.
"Whether you are born in Sudan, Milan or in Milton Keynes, sport really can break down barriers and bring us together.
"And Abdul congratulations - you have shown so much strength in getting this far, nothing can stop you from reaching your dream.
"But Abdul please - Don't break my records!"
