Lam Joar
Research Associate
Matthew Lam Joar is originally from South Sudan; he fled South Sudan when he was 15 years and became a refugee in Kenya. He is passionate about sports and was a professional athlete. He was selected among the first group of the Refugee Olympics in 2015 and trained for the Olympics. After the 2016 Olympics, Lam decided to focus on his higher education and transitioned to working for the refugee team through the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation and became the Camp Coordinator. As a member of the Refugee Olympics team, Lam uses sports to bring people together and bring peace and harmony to the politically divided refugee communities, which was successful.
Lam was the team assistant for the Refugee Olympics Team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford. His Master’s research focused on how participation in elite sport shapes refugees’ integration and belonging, a case study for the refugee Olympics Team. Lam sits on several advisory boards, including the Refugee Olympic Foundation Think Tank Committee and Beyond Sports. Lam is now the Programmes Officer at One Young World based in London, United Kingdom.