Refugee Olympic Team medallist Cindy Ngamba: ‘I’m proud of my sexuality and of my ethnicity’

Cindy Ngamba made history at this year’s Paris Olympics when she became the first-ever medallist for the Refugee Olympic Team, winning bronze in the women’s 75kg boxing event. But her story is truly one of triumph in the face of adversity.

Born in Cameroon, at the age of 11, Ngamba and her brother came to the UK to live with their dad and nine half-siblings in Bolton. It was there, at 15, that she took up boxing. But a shock discovery meant that outside the ring her fight had only just begun. When she was 16, with hopes of going to university, she discovered that she did not have the correct documentation to study or even stay in the UK — instead, she was in danger of being deported back to Cameroon. By her late teens, Ngamba knew that she was a lesbian — if she was sent back to her home country, where homosexuality is illegal, she could face imprisonment.

Over the years, she endured several challenges from the Home Office. Despite GB Boxing giving her an invitation letter to represent Britain at the Paris Olympics — for which she would need to be a British citizen — the Home Office refused. Every weekend, she had to attend an immigration centre to sign a document to show she had not left the country — until one visit took a frightening turn. “I was arrested and detained at Manchester immigration centre in 2019 during a routine visit due to paperwork issues. I was sent to a detention centre in London and held overnight until the issue was resolved,” says Ngamba. Although she was granted asylum in the UK in 2020 on grounds of her sexuality, and finally gained a BA (Hons) degree in Crime and Criminal Justice at the University of Bolton last year, she is still fighting for British citizenship. Denied the chance to join Team GB, Ngamba competed in the Refugee Olympic Team instead, and the rest is history. Here, the winner of The Sport Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, speaks about her Olympic journey and accepting her identity.

How does it feel to be recognised worldwide for your historic win as an LGBTQ+ refugee?

It means the world to me. It’s an honour to have won, for myself, for the Refugee Team and for the LGBTQ+ community. For me to go out there and to perform to my best ability on top of that was an amazing feeling. I’m just another athlete that was hungry; I was consistent and determined. I had my family that accept me and want me to succeed. Some people see me as a role model, saying I give them motivation or inspire them, and it touches my heart to hear that.

You left Cameroon at age 11 to come to the UK. What was that like?

It was a hard time, and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I was bullied in school because of my accent, and English was not my first language so I had to learn. I went from being an extrovert back in Cameroon to being an introvert here in the UK. I was shy and would keep to myself. Years later, when it was time to go to university, it was like I had a big wall slammed in my face: “You don’t have [immigration] papers: you can’t go to university.”

“I was arrested and sent to a female detention camp in London” – Cindy Ngamba

I had to spend about six years applying over and over again with the Home Office. When I got into boxing, I brought a letter with me saying that GB Boxing wanted me to represent them in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the Home Office said no. And then, a short while later, I was arrested and sent to a female detention camp in London. I spoke to people there, mothers that had children with them, young people — some of them had been in there for years and they didn’t even know what was happening. I was thinking, ‘Is that going to be me next? Am I going to be sent back to the country that I left when I was 11 years old? What am I going to do?’ I think about that moment and that feeling that I had and how I never want to go back to that again.

When did you discover that you were a lesbian?

When I was 11 years old, I was still trying to figure out what liking girls was about. In Cameroon, at school I had a crush on a friend. The way I looked at girls was different to the way I looked at boys and I just never understood that until I came into the UK. I watched loads of videos on YouTube of people coming out and I tried to educate myself. What is being a lesbian? What is being gay? Social media had a positive impact for me, but some videos were very bad. Some people come out and are beaten, disowned by their family, or kicked out of the house. I was questioning whether that was going to be me.

What was your coming out experience like?

I came out to my brother when I was 18, and he was very supportive. He said, “I still love you — you’re still Cindy.” When I told my oldest siblings, they were like, “We already knew, Cindy!” They don’t treat me any differently, and they know that my sexuality doesn’t define who I am.

“To me, family is the only thing that keeps you going in life” – Cindy Ngamba

Because I left Cameroon when I was 11, I didn’t get to see my mum until I turned about 21. I didn’t even get to speak to her from 11 years old all the way to age 18, but I knew she was alive. I ended up coming out to my mum on the phone. I felt like I had to — it was like a big, massive stone that I was carrying on my shoulder. She wasn’t very happy about it. It took time for her to come around, but she’s my support now, my first fan. To me, family is the only thing that keeps you going in life.

What are your feelings about the law in Cameroon?

It’s very sad. In the UK, we have equality and diversity, and everyone has the right to be whatever they want. But in Cameroon, the laws are very strict. I found loads of cases of how people will be sent to prison in Cameroon for being LGBTQ+. It was the law that ruined everything for me. I love my country — that’s where I was born. And I love the UK — that’s where I was raised. Cameroon did not disown me; the law is just different there. But I’m proud of my sexuality and of my ethnicity.

How does it feel to win The Sport Award at the Attitude Awards?

It is an amazing honour to win this award. I hope that my achievement of winning an Olympic medal despite the fact that I have overcome so much adversity in my life can inspire other people and show that if you commit to something, work hard and show determination, you can achieve great things.

This is an excerpt from an interview in the Attitude Awards issue 2024. To read the full interview, order your copy now or check out the Attitude app.