In this exciting and exclusive interview with Sir Mo Farah, discover which celebrity coined the ‘Mo-Bot’, how his upbringing influenced his later success and Mo’s top tips for thriving in your specific field. Considered one of the best athletes in the world, the multi-Olympic Gold medallist and World Champion is a leading authority on peak performance and achieving your goals.

Do not miss this exclusive Q&A with the legendary athlete and Olympic speaker, Mo Farah, who sat down virtually with Champions Speakers to discuss his incredible career.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the Mo-Bot?

Megan: "Many Olympians, like Usain Bolt, have a celebratory pose or action - tell me about the Mo-Bot?"

Mo: “The inspiration of the Mo-Bot is the ‘M ‘and ‘O’, which means Mo! And there was only one Mo, now there’s a few - Mo Salah, Mo Farah and Mo Gilligan.

“Now, at the time, there was only me in sports!

“We were doing this TV show in the UK was called League of their Own, and I was in the panel with other sports stars, and we were guessing what they do – it’s just a bit of fun!

“I was with Claire Balding, Jack Whitehall and James Corden and we were just talking, and we said, ‘you know what, Usain Bolt does [the Lightning Bolt] and he’s famous, because he is the fastest man in the world!

“Then we said, ‘the [2012 London Olympic Games] is coming up, we need to come up with a celebration for you’. Then Clare goes, ‘you know the YMCA, why don’t you do the M and the O’ and I was like ‘that’s genius!’.

“And then James Corden says, ‘the Mo-Bot’!

“So that’s how it started, and now everyone’s doing it – I’m doing it too!”

Q: Do you believe the adversity you have faced made you the determined and resilient athlete you are today?

Megan: "Olympians like Matt Langridge and Alex Gregory rave about the importance of resilience, but you understand more than most the value of determination when faced with adversity..."

Mo: “Definitely. I've always asked myself, it's like, if I didn't have that upbringing when I was a child, would I be the athlete I am today?

“And I think, without me thinking about it deeply, it does.

“I think that motivates you, that makes you appreciate what you have. And for me, I've always said that to myself - what you put in is what you get out.

“It's all about hard work and commitment. Everything I do, I try and commit in every way I can. And I ask the question, ‘where did I go wrong?’

“Sometimes, it's so hard to be able to go, ‘oh, I made a mistake’, ‘this went wrong’, or ‘I could fix these areas’. And I think the important thing is realising that you did make a mistake.

“And then, what are you going to do? I know what I need to do - I need to go put in this amount of work, I need to go out there and do better.

“There were many challenges. I think we will have a lot of challenges in our lives, it's how you use those challenges to motivate yourself.”

Q: After winning the World Championship and then Olympic Gold in 2012, how did you motivate yourself to continue the level of performance needed to get you there?

Megan: "What an athlete! Tell me about sustaining performance between wins?"

Mo: “It's really important as an athlete to stay on top of it. And for me, it's all about keeping going.

“When you win a World Championship, it's amazing; to finally do it is an incredible feeling. But you always ask, ‘what's next?’, ‘what can I do?’.

“The key thing is you always stay motivated, stay hungry. And I guess that's what makes it taste even better to win.”

Q: You give many inspirational lectures around the world; what is the best bit of advice you could give someone trying to make it in their field?

Megan: "You understand what it takes to become an Olympic legend, how does your experience help others wanting to succeed?"

Mo: “I think the best advice I can give to anyone trying to make it in their field - not just in athletics but business too – it’s hard work and determination.

“I think it’s key to always set yourself up. Not everything will always go smoothly, you will have hurdles along the way, it’s what you do with them that counts, how you stay motivated, stay hungry.

“And I think one thing I like to do – and I'm only in control of myself – is believe in yourself and your hard work.”

Q: What's next for Sir Mo Farah?

Megan: "After several successes, what could possibly be next for a legend like yourself?"

Mo: “What's next for me? It’s a big year next year, 2022. We have the Commonwealth Games, European and World Championships.

“So even as a champion, or reigning champion, I still have to stay on top of it.

“And I think it involves a lot of hard work - keep running the miles!

“I'm just excited to be taking part - nothing is guaranteed, I got to put in the work, stay hungry and stay motivated.”

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