South Sudanese Olympian Mangar Makur Chuot shares magical bond with Aboriginal children

One of Australia's top athletics coaches has revealed the almost mystical bond that a refugee who is about to represent his native South Sudan at the Olympic Games has with the Indigenous children he helps train and mentor in some of Western Australia's most remote communities.

Mangar Makur Chuot, a 26-year-old university student, left behind the horrors of his homeland 10 years ago when he was granted asylum and repatriated to Perth with his family. One of his sisters, Sarah, is a catwalk model who is in demand at some of the world's most prestigious fashion shows.

Later this year the 200-metre sprinter will compete for South Sudan's first Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro, but his first priority is to attend a clinic in Broome where his coach Lindsay Bunn said he will receive "rock star" treatment.

"They love him," said Mr Bunn. "For reasons I don't really understand the children bond quickly, and not just with Mangar but others in our group. We have athletes from places like Afghanistan and Sierre Leone and it's the same story."   

Mr Bunn, who identifies and nurtures talent in Western Australia's outback through his state's athletics association, is constantly amazed by the interaction.

"They make a connection," he said. "I think there's a bridge between them, coming from similar backgrounds.

"There is a sense. We get a lot of comment about the connection and some say it is because we're straightforward and [the children] find that refreshing. Maybe the connection is understanding."

Both men tell stories about Aboriginal children who have never tried the high jump before running barefoot across gravel and clearing a breathtaking two metres; of shot putters built like mountains and of the 16-year-old whose first attempt at throwing a javelin saw it hurtle an incredible 60 metres.

"It reminds me of my childhood," Mr Makur Chuot said of the children he meets at the clinics. "It is very tough but that gives you more strength, and it helped me. That kind of toughness allowed me to deal with a lot of things in my life."

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