Homeless, Then a Refugee, Now Wins For England: Cyrille Tchatchet II's Glasgow Triumph Inspires

Twelve years after arriving in Britain as a refugee with no certainty about his future, Cyrille Tchatchet II completed an extraordinary journey by winning a silver medal for England at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The men’s 110kg weightlifter produced the performance of his life to claim silver with a total lift of 374kg, finishing behind Fiji’s Taniela Tuisuva Rainibogi. More importantly for Tchatchet II, it fulfilled a dream that once seemed impossible.

“I’m very pleased. I was desperate for a Commonwealth Games medal and finally I achieved it,” he said. “This medal means hard work, courage, dedication and perseverance.”

The moment carried special significance. In 2014, Tchatchet II competed for Cameroon at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before making the life-changing decision to remain in Britain. After leaving the athletes’ village, he endured homelessness before being granted refugee status in 2016 and rebuilding his life through education, sport and healthcare.

Now representing England, his return to Glasgow became a powerful story of resilience, opportunity and belonging.

“It’s been a full circle for me,” he said. “At one point I felt this dream was never going to happen.”

Adding to the emotion was the presence of his mother, Eveline Njike, who travelled from Cameroon to watch him compete for the first time. Her encouragement from the stands helped inspire one of the best performances of his career before the pair celebrated together after the medal ceremony.

Away from weightlifting, Tchatchet II works as a mental health nurse, using his own experiences to support people facing difficult times. He hopes his story shows that difficult beginnings do not define a person’s future.

“This medal means hope, perseverance and to never give up,” he said. “Despite the hardships we go through, there’s always a possibility. We have to believe in ourselves and keep pushing.”

His silver medal was more than an achievement for England’s weightlifting team. It was a reminder of the positive contribution refugees can make when given the chance to rebuild their lives, with Glasgow once again providing the backdrop to one of the Commonwealth Games’ most inspiring stories.

Although Los Angeles 2028 is not yet on his agenda, Tchatchet II plans to continue competing, with the World Championships, European Championships and potentially the 2030 Commonwealth Games firmly in his sights.