olympics
It’s part of As
Canadians, we
the Olympic tradition. cheer
for are, in
national team, feeling pride that its accomplishments
Africans, nationality—you our some small
way, our accomplishments. Americans, South your
Germans—whatever come together
with your fellow citizens to feel good about your home country. It’s been that way ever since the Olympics began, and this past summer in Rio de Janeiro was no different, as Canadians were buoyed by our athletes’ collection of 4 golds, 3 silvers, and 15 bronze medals.
But what if you’re a top athlete without a home? What if you’re one of the 21.3 million refugees around the globe, forced to interrupt your life and flee your home because of war, violence or persecution? That was the issue tackled by the International Olympic Committee when earlier this year it formed—along with UNHCR, a longstanding partner— the first ever Refugee Olympic Team. Beginning with 43 hopefuls, the team was winnowed down to 10 athletes, including two Syrian swimmers, two judokas from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and six runners from Ethiopia and South Sudan. Each one sought refuge from violence or persecution, finding a safe haven to live and train in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Kenya and Brazil.
“These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem,” IOC President Thomas Bach said earlier this year. “We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village together with all the athletes of the world… This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis. It is also a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society.”
UNHCR / 9 © UNHCR/Benjamin Loyseau
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