Our Team

Pushing barriers is governed by a passionate Management Committee.

Fiona Pakoa

President

Fiona joined Pushing Barriers in June 2020 after 10 years managing scholarships in Africa. Fiona has academic qualifications in economics, education, and HR. She has lived experiences in Kenya, Liberia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Vanuatu. As a member of the management committee Fiona has been involved in Annual Planning, volunteer recruitment and training.

Tracy Tucker

CEO, Co-founder, Program Manager

Tracy has a lifelong involvement in sport and thrives in ultra distance events. Tracy has a degree in Physiotherapy and a Diploma in Community Services. A qualified swim teacher, she has been involved in teaching many youth with a refugee background how to swim. A passionate advocate for inclusion in sport Tracy’s motivation to create Pushing Barriers stems from her belief that every person has the potential to reach their personal best given the opportunity and support.

Jenifer French

Secretary, Cofounder

Originally from South Africa, Jenifer immigrated to Australia with her family. She is a Registered Nurse with a Masters in Counselling as well as a Masters in Social Work. Jenifer follows her passion for raising awareness of psychological wellbeing 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.

Liz Sherratt

Financial Officer

Elizabeth has a background in Accounting and Finance. She really admires the work of Pushing Barriers in trying to positively influence the lives of children from refugee backgrounds who are new to the Australian community, helping increase their sense of belonging and wellbeing. 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.

Connie de Santana

Treasurer

Connie is a Chartered Accountant, graduating in South Africa with Honours and Bachelor of Accounting Science degrees.Connie has held various senior leadership roles in the resources sector, including responsibility for the financial affairs of multinational organisations. Connie is proud to be part of the Pushing Barriers team as it works together with supporters and volunteers to positively transform the lives of refugee youth.

Our ambassadors

Anjilla Seddeqi

Ambassador

Anjilla is an Australian designer of Afghan heritage. She arrived in Australia in 1989 with her family, seeking refuge from war torn Afghanistan. Anjilla obtained her combined law degree from Macquarie University and her Masters in International Law from the University of Sydney. She has interned with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Canberra and provided legal representation to asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia. Anjilla has received the Symbol of Harmony award in March this year at the Fashions of Multicultural Australia (FOMA) runway show and has been featured in the September 2019 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. She resides in Sydney with her husband and two young boys.

Peter Bol

Ambassador

Peter is a professional 800m track athlete competing in national teams at the Olympics in 2016, IAAF London World Champs in 2017, IAAF Doha World championships in 2019 and was the Australian Champion 2019. He most recently achieved 4th place in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 for the 800m. Peter has a degree in Construction Management and is passionate about design, buildings and construction and building communities. Peter's hobbies include cafes, travel, cultures, languages, bikes and books.