Another chapter in the life of Cindy Ngamba unfolds, coinciding with the history of the Olympics.
She is the first athlete from the Refugee Team to step onto the podium at the Games, as she reaches the semi-finals in boxing, guaranteeing herself at least a bronze. At 25 years old, Cindy can recount her experiences for a time longer than an entire Olympiad. Adventurously immigrating from Cameroon to England as a child, she faced numerous challenges before deciding, at 18 years old, to openly declare her homosexuality and not return to her country where her sexual orientation would be considered a crime.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 29 athletes from the Refugee Team sailed down the Seine, standing proudly on the bow of their boat, all dressed in white. This Team symbolizes hope for many, especially the hope that sports can be a path to truly help those who have been forced to leave their countries for serious reasons. Cindy, along with long-distance runner Dominic Lobalu from South Sudan, was the favorite among the group to win the coveted first medal at the Team’s third Olympics, which debuted in Rio 2016.
Today, Cindy defeated her opponent, French boxer Davina Michel, in the quarterfinals with a dominating 5-0 victory in the -75 kg category. Both fighters relied on their left hook in the first round, but Cindy’s greater mobility proved to be the decisive factor. Securing at least a bronze, Cindy is hopeful for more. It’s clear she’s not one to settle. Born in Douala, Cameroon in 1998, Cindy is the younger sister of Kenneth. In 2007, at 9 years old, their mother, Gisette, brought them to France while her ex-husband had already made his way to England. Two years later, realizing she couldn’t provide for the children, Gisette sent them to their father in Bolton. This marked a challenging period for young Cindy, who lacked proper documentation in England and faced several encounters with law enforcement. Despite financial support from her mother in France, the father failed to complete the necessary paperwork to legalize the children’s status. Ngamba, who spoke no English, suffered in the cold, rainy weather. Struggling with bulimia and depression, she faced bullying at school due to her weight and often refused to leave the house for long periods. She turned to sports to lose weight, encouraged by her brother, who would drag her out for a morning run and eventually convinced her to join a gym. She played soccer before becoming the first girl on the local boxing team. The early days were tough, with her coach pushing her through intense workouts to shed the pounds. After two years, Cindy finally stepped into the ring. At 19, she won her first match, and in 2019, she became the British champion. She aspired to represent England in major international competitions but couldn’t due to her lack of British nationality. Since 2020, she has refugee status, publicly declaring her lesbianism and inability to return to her home country, where such orientation is considered criminalized. Before winning the historic medal for the Refugee Team in Paris, she enrolled at the University of Bolton, studying criminology with the dream of becoming a detective. She may have already cracked her first case.
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