Sierra Leone Commonwealth Games asylum seeker Sandy Walker says ‘Australia changed my life’

A SPRINTER from Sierra Leone who sought asylum in Australia during the 2006 Commonwealth Games says his life has been transformed beyond belief and hopes his kids will one day represent Australia.

A SPRINTER from Sierra Leone who sought asylum in Australia during the 2006 Commonwealth Games says his life has been transformed beyond belief.

Former 100m and 200m sprinter Sandy Walker, who works stacking shelves in a northern beaches supermarket, said the backdrop to his childhood was a devastating 11-year-long civil war which left him an orphan.

Now he is the proud father of four, works fulltime at Manly’s Harris Farms and enjoys watching the Manly Sea Eagles on TV, along with soccer and cricket.

“Australia has changed my life,” said Mr Walker, 30. “I feel safe here. I enjoy my work and my children have a future.”

Mr Walker competed at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne for Sierra Leone.

Sandy Walker was one of 14 Sierra Leonean athletes who absconded from the 2006 Melbourne games for fear of their safety on return to their home country.

A group of the athletes, including Mr Walker, were helped by Northern Beaches Refugee Sanctuary, headed by David Addington, of Manly.

He said in Sierra Leone in 2002, life expectancy for a man was 37. It is still only 46.

Mr Addington said: “I think Sandy speaks for himself. He is a happy man and his life is going well in Australia. He has a family, he’s contributing to Australia by paying his taxes and it’s a fabulous story.”

Several athletes from Sierra Leone went ‘on the run’ after the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Mr Walker, the second youngest of 10 children, grew up under the care of older siblings after his parents died relatively early during the 1991-2002 war.

He often had to rely on food sent to him by his sister, who lived in the capital, Freetown. He lived with his other siblings in the family home in Bo, the country’s second-biggest city.

Mr Walker said: “She would regularly send us a bag of rice and when we were hungry, we would send word and she would try and help as best as she could.”

Mr Walker at work in Harris Farm in Manly. Picture: Braden Fastier

Living through such horror and uncertainty affected every aspect of Mr Walker’s life.

“The war affected my dreams, my schooling, my athletics training — everything,” he said.

Sandy Walker was one of the 'Commonwealth Games' athletes who decided to go on the run during the Melbourne Games and seek asylum in Australia.

Despite the chaos around him his sprinting talent got him noticed at primary school. By the time he was at high school he was representing his district. He competed across Africa before being selected for the Commonwealth Games.

Mr Walker told the Manly Daily his best 100m time was 10.4 seconds, while his 200m best was 21.45, although he wonders what he could have achieved with better training and support.

He said he had not planned to seek asylum when he came to Australia but, during the competition, his teammates began talking about it and his decision to join them was “spontaneous”.

He said he would never forget how the northern beaches people helped him in his moment of need by donating clothes and providing cheap accommodation, as well as legal support to help him complete his protection visa application.

After five years in the country, his wife and daughter Sandishia, now 12, joined him. Unfortunately, his wife left him shortly after emigrating.

Now, he is with a new partner Cristiana, 29, and has three children, Annabell, 5, Alishia, 3, and Sandy Junior, 2, living in Carrabar.

Former Sierra Leone track star Sandy Walker with his partner Christiana and children Sandy II, 2, Annabell, 5 and Alisha, 3.

Determined to give something back, he runs a charity, the Lot Foundation.

It supports orphans and those who have lost limbs with clothes and other necessities, as well as sporting equipment, some of which has been donated by Mike Pawley, who owns several sports stores on the peninsula.

Mr Walker also supports his extended family back home. As for his family here, he is delighted at the opportunities for himself and his children.

“I don’t drink or smoke. I’m an athlete. I lead a healthy life and I work hard,” he said. “I hope my children follow in my footsteps, become athletes and represent Australia.”