Ali

Meet Ali, who was seven years old when his father was killed by ISIS in Afghanistan. He fled the country with his mother and four siblings and after being rejected by Australian immigration, ended up in Naenae. Ali, the father figure to his young immi-grant family, couldn’t speak English. Joining the boxing club was a massive culture shock for him and his family. Billy: ‘His mother wouldn’t shake hands - wouldn’t touch’ But the academy has become a second family for Ali and his mother. Billy: ’Now she gives me a cuddle’.  

The academy sends Ali to Outward Bound and while away, Billy and his team take care of Ali’s mother and siblings.