A team who won hope for millions
Approximately one-half of the world watches coverage of the Olympic Games. In 2016, the International Olympic Committee used that platform to turn those eyes to something bigger — the refugee crisis.
The First Refugee Olympic Team
The first Refugee Olympic Team consisted of ten athletes who competed across ten events. Rose Lokonyen was one of those athletes.
Rose Lokonyen debuted their flag to the world
At eight years old, Rose fled her home of South Sudan and sought safety at a refugee camp. There, she found her passion for running, a talent that led her to the Olympic Games Rio 2016 where she became the first Refugee Olympic Team flagbearer and female 800m athlete.
During Rio 216 ‘Refugee’ search term increased 276%
60,000 spectators attended the Olympic Games Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony, 3.2BN more tuned into the Games from home, including many of the 200,000 refugees from Rose’s camp. This visibility inspired people to find out more about the 17 million refugees around the world.
“Sport is everything to me. It has given me passion. It has given me hope.”
– Rose Lokonyen
The Refugee Olympic Team’s impact today
Since their debut at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the Refugee Olympic Team has sought to give hope to millions of other refugees and continues to win support and provide access to sport for those who are displaced.
265,000 young, displaced people have received safe access to sport through the Olympic Refuge Foundation
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