Empower young people from a refugee background through sport

About Pushing Barriers - south-west Brisbane and Ipswich

Pushing Barriers has been helping young people from a refugee background participate in community club sport since 2017.

We know that being involved in club sport helps break down social and cultural barriers for young people and their families and helps them connect to the community.
But our founders, Tracy Tucker and Jenifer French also realised that playing club sport was almost impossible for these young people. Their families struggle to afford club fees, to buy their equipment and to transport them to games and training sessions.

We provide registration fees, uniforms, transport, liaison between team and home, mentorship and higher level sporting opportunities to young people from a refugee background in Brisbane and Ipswich. With a small team of volunteers, we have supported over 250 young people to play sport.

Our mission

Connect young people from a refugee background to community through sport.

Our objective

Advance and improve the lives and welfare of young people from a refugee background.

What we do

We operate mainly in south-west Brisbane and Ipswich, providing funding, transport, mentoring and liaison to help young people from a refugee background to be included and welcomed into Australian culture and society through sport.

We provide:

financial support by partnering with sporting clubs to cover the costs of club fees, uniforms and equipment.
transport to and from competition and training as required, through a well-coordinated volunteer driver team.
mentoring and team and family liaison to support participation at club level and higher levels if the opportunity arises.
opportunities for our participants to meet positive role models aligned with Pushing Barriers’ values to motivate and inspire them.
education for sports clubs, their officials, volunteers, families and players about the value of diversity, inclusion and acceptance of people from refugee backgrounds within the sporting community.

Our values

Teamwork

Collaboration is key. We build relationships with sports clubs, their officials, volunteers, families and players so they can better understand the challenges faced by young people from a refugee background.

Trust

Relationships built on trust support our young people to feel accepted and included and connect to community.

Inclusion

An inclusive organisation striving to educate and advocate for diversity and inclusion in sport.

Fun

Whether in the office or on the field smiles and laughter prevail.

Respect

Strength lies in difference. We respect those differences and respect one another.

Our awards

Multicultural Queensland’s Diversity and Inclusion Champion award for outstanding contributions to creating an inclusive, harmonious and united Queensland, 2021 WINNER

Our people

Pushing Barriers is governed by a passionate team:

Management Committee

Tracy Tucker

Co-founder, President

Tracy has a lifelong involvement in sport having competed internationally as an age group triathlete. She qualified and worked as a physiotherapist in South Africa and became involved in the child protection sector after moving to Brisbane in 2002 with her family. Tracy has a Diploma in Community Services and is qualified swim teacher which is where she first became involved with young people from a refugee background, teaching them to swim. She is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in sport. Tracy’s motivation to establish Pushing Barriers stems from her belief that through sport communities are connected and every person has the potential to reach their personal best given the right opportunity and support.

Jenifer French

Co-founder, Secretary

Jenifer is a registered nurse with a Masters in Counselling and a Masters in Social Work. Jenifer follows her passion for raising awareness of psychological well-being through education and is currently working in mental health. She loves working with children, making community connections and firmly believes in the benefits of sport to enhance people’s lives. Jenifer is currently working in the mental health and disability sector. She is also involved in research projects that encourage support and promote inclusion in culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Liz Sherratt

Treasurer

Elizabeth has a background in accounting and finance. She admires the work of Pushing Barriers in trying to positively influence the lives of young people from a refugee background who are new to the Australian community, helping increase their sense of belonging and well-being. She is honoured to hold the title of Treasurer and is strongly committed to good stewardship of the funds entrusted to Pushing Barriers by its donors, supporters and corporate partners.

Subcommittee

Douglas Jones

Douglas Jones is a highly experienced physiotherapist and a coach at Centenary Stormers Football Club. Over the past three years, Douglas has coached many of the young participants supported by Pushing Barriers and has witnessed the positive impact that joining a community sports club has had on the talented young people from refugee backgrounds. Douglas joins our team having had first-hand experience in liaising with participants and their families, helping them to navigate a pathway forward with their sport and overcome obstacles to keep participants connected to their teams.

David Jongkuch

David Jongkuch is a dedicated PhD student currently pursuing his doctorate in Agribusiness at the University of Queensland. With a refugee background, David has a passion for social change, and works part-time as a youth worker, supporting and mentoring young people with a refugee background. While not working or studying, David regularly participates in soccer and volunteers in the community, showcasing a dedication to both academic achievement and cross-cultural community engagement.

Operational team

Katie Gosling

Program Manager, TLO

Katie has a background in the child protection sector that started in 2007, she holds qualifications in Community Services, Management, Early Childhood and Training and Assessment. Katie is passionate about equality, fairness and working with young people. She is a firm believer that sport nurtures connection, creates a sense of belonging, supports wellbeing and brings people from various walks of life together.

Volunteer team liaison officers (TLO) and drivers

Amanda

Driver

Andrew

Driver

Carrie

Driver

David

Driver, TLO

Emily

Driver, TLO

Gerard

Driver

Jenifer

Driver, TLO

John

Driver

Liz

Driver

Mark

Driver

Matt

Driver, TLO

Miranda

Driver, TLO

Peta

Driver, TLO

Sally

Driver, TLO

Sue

Driver, TLO

Tracy

Driver, TLO

Our ambassadors

Peter Bol

Peter is a professional 800m track athlete and three-time Olympian. He represented Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics as well as the World Championships in London in 2017 and Doha in 2019. He was a silver medallist at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Peter has a degree in construction management and is passionate about design, buildings and construction and building communities.

Our supporters

Schools

Milpera State School

milperashs.eq.edu.au

Businesses

We are fortunate to partner with and have the support of businesses that are committed to supporting our mission of helping young people from a refugee background connect to the community through sport.