Cindy Ngamba: The Refugee Who Might Become The First Olympic Medalist

Cindy Ngamba, a boxer who escaped Cameroon at the age of 11, is on the verge of making history at the Paris 2024 Olympics. As a member of the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT), the 26-year-old stands a chance to become the first refugee athlete to win an Olympic medal. 

Ngamba’s journey to the Olympics is a remarkable one. She fled Cameroon when she was 11 years old and has been living in the UK for the past 15 years. She was interested in sports and initially joined a football team. However, she soon discovered her true passion was boxing. 

Ngamba found a supportive community with the GB Boxing Team and went on to win three English national championships. She also became the first refugee boxer to qualify for the Olympic Games, making history ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Ngamba has also achieved the rare privilege of being both an Olympian and an Olympic flag bearer. She reflected on the significance of the Olympic flag she will bear at the Opening Ceremony, stating that “the ring colours show how we are connected together.”

“We are a whole team, but every ring colour is different. We’re all from different backgrounds, different stories, different languages, different sports, but it unites us all together,” she said.

As a top contender for a medal, she may become the first refugee athlete to win Olympic gold. Though she can’t put into words the emotions, she knows the symbolism of waving the flag on the Seine. “I hope that every wave of the flag touches every refugee around the world, showing that we’re standing tall and holding our head high and happy,” she said.

She said they were proud to be called “refugees” and be part of a team because they were “unique”. “If you didn’t know about us, now you do,” she said. 

As she prepares for her Olympic debut in the women’s middleweight 75kg event, she is driven by the knowledge that her mother will watch her fight for the first time. “My mum is the one that can describe what it will be like,” she said. 

She also shared a message of hope with fellow refugees and urged them to not “give up”, whether they are athletes or not. “You are going to have up and down days, just like any human does, but there’s going to be a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.