`` Even if I am not going to carry or wear the flag , I will be the flag of my nation , '' he says . The Olympian has not seen his parents since 1993 , when he first fled what is now South Sudan . The idea is that people who are patriotic and proud of their country should also have a sense of humor about it. '' The marathoner was born in what is now South Sudan . He does not have a passport .
`` Even if I am not going to carry or wear the flag , I will be the flag of my nation , '' he says . The idea is that people who are patriotic and proud of their country should also have a sense of humor about it. '' The marathoner was born in what is now South Sudan . He does not have a passport .