Breaking barriers through sport: The experience of people from refugee backgrounds

Coming to Australia was a “dream come true” for David Jongkuch Ayuen, a football player from South Sudan who grew up in a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya.

However, the reality of migrating and settling into the community wasn’t so simple. Jongkuch Ayuen endured five years of constant uncertainty and difficult living conditions before being able to move to Australia with his family.

“I was really excited to come to Australia because in a refugee camp life is hard. You’re getting food rations, the temperatures are high, and the quality of education needs a lot of improvement,” he said.

Upon arriving in Queensland, excitement was overcome with culture shock as he faced the challenges of starting a new life.

"The biggest challenges were connecting with the community, not knowing anyone, being unable to speak English, and being clueless about where to go," he added.

Like many others from cultural, racial, and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, Jongkuch Ayuen found connection to his new home through sport.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is sharing his story and many others as part of its vision that ‘sport has a place for everyone’ and can support people refugee backgrounds form social connections and adapt to life in a new country.

Zahra Ahmadi is another featured in the CALD story-telling series, with the 17-year-old sharing her difficult journey from Afghanistan to Australia.

"It was tough getting to Australia because we had to go to Pakistan first,” Ahmadi explained.

“Without Afghani passports, entering Pakistan wasn’t easy. During our time there, all of my family had to work and we couldn't go to school. We made carpets at home for six years.”

Since arriving in Australia and with the support from organisations such as Pushing Barriers, she has since found a community in a range of sports, including netball, boxing, badminton, and AFL.

"I never thought a Muslim girl like me could be good at sports and fit in with the other girls while wearing a hijab. Pushing Barriers played a big role in that,” Ahmadi said.

With support from organisations such as Pushing Barriers, which helps people from refugee backgrounds participate in sports, Zahra Ahmadi has found a passion for netball, boxing, badminton, and AFL.

The not-for-profit organisation aims to remove barriers that prevent people from refugee backgrounds from participating in sport by helping them understand how the system works and providing support with club fees, transportation, equipment, and communication.

Their work supports the sport sector to be more inclusive by helping sporting clubs understand the unique environments many refugees come from, such as disadvantaged backgrounds, broken families, or different cultural beliefs.

Tracey Tucker, CEO of Pushing Barriers, said: “We’ve seen youths from refugee backgrounds be embraced by their team and coaches, grow in confidence, improve their English, build friendships, and just feel part of a community.”

Jongkuch Ayuen, who now works as a sport volunteer, has found this sense of community invaluable while settling into a new country.

“We meet a lot of people from diverse backgrounds, so when you're having a hard time, there’s often somebody who's experienced a similar journey that you can talk to, and they can help you cope and adapt to Australia,” he said.

For more resources and strategies on how to understand, recognise and celebrate inclusion and diversity within sports and clubs visit the CALD communities webpage.