James Chiengjiek NYANG

James is from Bentiu, South Sudan. His father was a soldier who died in 1999 during the war. When he was a young boy, James took care of cattle. He escaped from South Sudan when the war broke out as he was at risk of being forced to participate by the army. He arrived in Kenya in 2002 and settled in the Kakuma Refugee Camp where he was supported by UNHCR. He went to school and started running there.

In addition to taking part in various international athletics competitions, James also competed in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 in the 400m as part of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.

After Tokyo 2020, James and two of his fellow athletes moved to Canada to study at Sheridan University. He is now a full-time student-athlete and is aiming for Paris 2024.