Ethiopian Olympic marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa who is on exile said he misses his wife, but he is not about to give up on his protest.
Lilesa has been living in the US on a temporary visa after making an anti-government gesture when he finished in second place in Rio.
I miss my wife and children but this is no more of a problem than the Oromo people face. Compared to other people, this is not a problem for me. She knows I might get killed if I went back so it’s OK living far away from her.”
Feyisa-Lilesa
A special visa was issued to Lilesa so he can live and train in the US, but he insists he has no plans to stay there permanently.
He added: “Since my wish is to one day go back to my own country, I will remain in this country as long as my visa allows. I have no intention to ask for asylum.”
“I’ve always wanted to run for my country and for my people,” the 26-year-old told BBC World Service.
“I would like to see myself in a country where the current government is ousted and the people get freedom, so I can run for my country.”
