Weightlifter Cyrille Tchatchet: from battling depression to representing 80 million refugees in the Olympics.
Seven years ago, Cyrille Tchatchet considered ending his life. Weeks after representing Cameroon at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, the Yaoundé native decided to stay in Great Britain, fearing for his safety if he were to return to his native country.
There began a journey full of pitfalls for Tchatchet. He lived in the streets for a couple of months in Brighton, slept under a bridge, and became increasingly depressed as his attempts to ask for asylum kept on getting declined.
He contemplated suicide for a long time, and even stood on a precipice before noticing a helpline number glued on a wall, advertising The Samaritans - a charity that offers support for anyone in distress. After calling the number, he was convinced not to jump and shortly after, two police cars arrived to take him to safety.
This intervention not only saved him, but it also gave him a second chance at life.
Tchatchet started rebuilding his life in Britain and after a two-year legal battle, he finally obtained his refugee status. He picked up weightlifting again in a way to improve his mental health and soon enough, he was competing in British regional Championships.
At the same time, the Cameroonian started studying mental health nursing and managed to graduate with first-class honours at Middlesex University. Nowadays, he practises with a community mental health team in Harrow and hopes to begin a Master’s degree.
The sporting efforts of Cyrille Tchatchet also paid off: He won five times the British weightlifting championships (94kg, 96kg and 102kg) and the International Olympic Committee rewarded him with a Refugee Athlete Scholarship. That gave him an extra boost to be able to make the Refugee Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He even received the honour of serving as his team’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony of the games.
I thought it was a dream! I still can't beleive I helped carry the Olympic flag into the Olympic stadium in Tokyo.
— Cyrille Tchatchet II (@Iicyrille) July 24, 2021
I am honored and privileged to be given the opportunity to represent both refugees and Healthcare workers who worked tirelessly during the covid-19 pandemic pic.twitter.com/MShHETJ6XP
Cyrille Tchatchet is due to compete in the men’s 96kg event on Saturday, July 31. Specialists expect a top six finish but he knows his participation at the Olympics cannot be merely quantified by medals. It is not your average sports performance, it is a message of hope, belief, and solidarity to the 80 million displaced people of the world that he is representing.
By Jasmin Nyqvist