Eritrean refugee runner was just 12 when he decided to cross the desert in search of a better life

War is hell. In 2010, a boy called Tachlowini from a remote village in Eritrea felt he needed to run a away from the country full of hardship and to find a better life. He reached Israel, became a well-respected athlete and lived to bear the flag for all refugees in the Olympic Games.

Tachlowini Gabriyesos, who will be 25 in two months, has seen the worst things humans can do to each other, but he never speaks of it. Instead, he's running and trying to bring the message of hope to everyone facing the horrors of violence and displacement.

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On Sunday, he ran the half marathon in Belgrade, Serbia and finished seventh with a result of 1:11:45, just under eight minutes behind the winner Bernard Wambua and fellow Kenyans Paul Tiongik and Shadrack Kimaiyo. It was remarkable to run in the city where thousands of refugees pass every year on their way to Western Europe and countries like Germany and France.

Many of the thousands of people traversing the route come from Eritrea, like Gabriyesos, facing perils and challenges. Gabriyesos's journey back in 2010 lasted for months and was marked by hardship.

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When he finally reached Israel, Gabriyesos was first transferred to a refugee camp and later started attending school. There, he told his teachers he could run, and they provided equipment and training.

"I had been fond of running even before I left Eritrea. I got a coach, who is my coach now as well. He is like a father to a man who is part of my life and me. When I started ... the coach told me to run. And I ran and ran, and he didn't tell me to stop."

The tireless runner told AP that such determination got him to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where he finished 16th with 2:14:02. He's now looking forward to representing the refugees in the Paris Games.