Nike signs boxer Cindy Ngamba as its first refugee athlete

The first refugee athlete to join Nike's elite roster, Cindy Ngamba is a member of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Games. She fled her native Cameroon at age 11 and now resides in the UK, where she's a three-time national boxing champion and youth coach. In addition to signing Ngamba and sponsoring the official kit for the Refugee Olympic Team, Nike is collaborating with the Olympic Refuge Foundation's Terrains d'Avenir program in Paris to create more inclusive play environments and provide trauma-informed coaching.

Emphasizing Nike's conviction in the power of sport to unlock human potential, an accompanying ad showcases Ngamba alongside judoka Mohammad Rashnonezhad, originally from Iran; cyclist Eyeru Gebru, originally from Ethiopia; and 800 m runner Perina Lokure, originally from South Sudan. In the face of the all-too-familiar query, "But where are you really from?" Ngamba and her fellow athletes respond with unwavering determination. "I'm from losing my flag, my country and my home. But never giving up. That's where we are really from. Now, watch where we are going."