Listen "Episode 64: #063 Roman Abasy"
Episode Synopsis
Roman Abasy was a national Taekwondo champion and human rights advocate in Afghanistan, until the Taliban made him a target. Forced to flee, he rebuilt his life in Australia, turning exile into purpose. We explore Romans powerful journey from athlete to refugee to community leader, using sport, discipline, mental health and advocacy to uplift others, fight for justice and the right to belong. Timestamps added below if you want to skip to your juice.Want to become a Keep Rolling Patron and help further support the channel, hit the Patreon link below and Roll with the Squad!https://www.patreon.com/street_rolling_cheetahAdd, Follow or Contact Roman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-abasy-702ab2227/Add, Follow or Contact me: Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/street_rolling_cheetah/?hl=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/st_rollcheetahFace book: https://www.facebook.com/StreetRollingCheetah/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-briggs-77b867100/Timestamps(00:00:00) Welcome (00:03:23) Introducing Roman Abasy(00:05:25) Growing up in Kabul during a civil war(00:07:44) School under the Taliban regime(00:12:27) Starting into Taekwondo(00:14:40) Continuing on education(00:16:20) Regime change in 2001 - freedom (00:18:35) Life inside and outside of Kabul (00:23:30) Living with threats(00:25:10) The normalisation of war(00:27:00) Disabilities in a war torn country(00:32:45) Hope Wheels program(00:34:01) Access to tech vs values(00:37:45) Leaving Afghanistan - a chaotic time(00:42:15) Getting help from the Olympic committee(00:45:00) Making it to Pakistan(00:46:03) Australia was not by choice(00:48:16) Learning languages (00:49:18) Arriving in Sydney & getting support(00:56:10) Living under different politics(00:58:05) First job in Australia as a sports coordinator(01:03:42) The different communities and integration(01:05:26) Working in the public service(01:07:30) Addressing local needs (01:10:35) Youth settlement worker's role - helping with adaptation(01:16:15) Housing crisis issues(01:18:40) Comms with people in Afghanistan is controlled(01:22:15) You can't forget where you came from(01:24:10) Hope for change in a war torn country(01:31:02) Local Islamic community - the difference(01:35:00) Thoughts on Palestine, Israel and Iran(01:36:55) Thoughts on local support for refugees(01:38:25) Little Kabul and food talk
More episodes of the podcast Keep Rolling with Jake Briggs
Episode 66: #065 Bronwyn Penhaligon
08/09/2025
Episode 65: #064 Brendan Rogers
03/08/2025
Episode 63: #062 Kristina Reddaway
14/06/2025
Episode 62: #061 Clint Newton
21/03/2025
Episode 61: #060 Rosemary Kayess
24/02/2025
Episode 60: #059 Matthew Elliott
03/12/2024
Episode 59: #058 Dr James Stewart
10/11/2024
Episode 58: #057 Dr David Putrino
17/08/2024
Episode 57: #056 Russell Grundy
04/08/2024
Episode 56: #055 Dr Steve Leicester
29/06/2024