Former Sudanese refugee Lopez Lomong has been chosen to lead the United States Olympic team into the Birds Nest Stadium.

Lomong spent 10 years in a refugee camp in Kenya and later was able to move to the United States as a teenager.

This is the most exciting day ever in my life,” Lomong said. “It’s a great honor for me that my teammates chose to vote for me. I’m here as an ambassador of my country, and I will do everything I can to represent my country well.”

“When we were in Africa, we didn’t know what was there for us as kids — we just ran. God was planning all of this stuff for me, and I didn’t know,” Lomong said on his website.