Refugee Olympians in Action: – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

A full day and a lot of emotions. Disappointment for James who started very well but fell. Some happy faces for Dorian (PB) and Cyrille (NR) who take with them an invaluable experience for the rest of their careers. And a great moment of sharing and friendship during the mixed team event. This is what the Olympic Games is all about! #cheerforrefugees

Cyrille comes from a family of six children and is the 3rd born. His mother separated with his father in the year 2000 and Cyrille and his siblings were looked after by their mother who is a business woman. He attended Government Bilingual Practising High School in Yaounde and started studying for a degree in geography at the University of Yaounde 1 before stopping to focus full-time on weightlifting training to prepare for the commonwealth games.
#changestartswithsport

Popole Misenga (born 25 February 1992) is a judoka originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who has been selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
#RefugeeOlympicTeam

Dorian Céleste Keletela is a Congolese-born sprinter.

Born in the Republic of the Congo in 1999, Keletela came to Portugal in 2016 with his aunt after he lost both parents to conflict in Congo. Aged 17 he spent over a year in refugee centres, and set about learning a new language and adapting to a new way of life. He has been training with Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon. He ran a 6.79s second 60m in February 2020, and a 10.46s 100m in August 2020.

Whilst competing as one of 29 athletes across 12 disciplines representing the IOC refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Keletela ran a personal best 10.33 seconds for the 100 metres to win his preliminary heat
#OlympicRefuge

James Chiengjiek began running whilst attending school in Kenya; joining a group of older children from a town in the highlands known for its long-distance runners who were training for events. He often had to train without shoes which resulted in him getting injured frequently. Chiengjiek qualified for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He will compete in the 800m
#withrefugees

James fell in the 800m.
#StrongerTogether

UNHCR - Support the Refugee Olympic Team
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©2020 – The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games

	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.