“Sport saved me”: Two refugee women, one shared journey of hope and inclusion

Sport as a pathway to inclusion: the IOC’s commitment to displaced people

Cindy and Shabnam’s journeys reflect the IOC’s broader work to support displaced people through sport. In 2015, the IOC created the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, giving athletes who had been forced to flee their homes the opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

Since then, the team has grown significantly: from 10 athletes at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 to 29 at Tokyo 2020 and a record 37 athletes at Paris 2024, living in 15 countries across 12 sports. The team was led by Masomah Ali Zada, a refugee cyclist and the first refugee to serve as Chef de Mission.

Looking ahead, a Refugee Olympic Team will be competing at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 – continuing to offer hope and visibility to young displaced athletes.

Beyond the Games, the IOC established the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2017 to ensure that all displaced young people – not just elite athletes – have access to safe sport. Since then, the ORF has, through its work, reached over 950,000 young people affected by displacement.

The Foundation has to date supported programmes in 12 countries, including France, where Terrains d’Avenir has helped young refugees like Shabnam rebuild their lives. Across its programme portfolio, the ORF has directly engaged more than 210,000 displaced young people and host community members, offering opportunities for protection, development and belonging.

Strengthening the support to refugees and populations affected by displacement was one of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. Key results achieved can be consulted here.

Olympism365: Scaling up sport’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

The IOC’s support for refugees is part of its wider objective to strengthen the role of sport in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To achieve this, the IOC launched the Olympism365 strategy as part of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 reforms. Through Olympism365, the IOC is reaching tens of millions of people, improving their health and well-being, increasing access to education, and creating more inclusive societies through sport. Working closely with a wide range of partners, the IOC is currently supporting 550 social impact programmes and initiatives in 176 countries.

From 3 to 5 June, the Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World will bring these efforts into focus. Taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Summit will unite leaders across sectors to share knowledge, celebrate progress and explore new investment opportunities in sport for development.