Competing in the Olympics is the pinnacle of most athletes’ careers. But for Admir Cejvanovic, the first Bosnia-born international rugby sevens player, it would be the highlight of an incredible journey that has taken him around the world.
Made refugees when the Yugoslav Wars began in the early 1990s, he and his mother lived for six months in a United Nations camp on the border of Croatia and Bosnia. They spent another two years in the Croatian town of Pula before being cleared to move to Canada, where a church agreed to sponsor them.
“You either left or you took a serious risk of getting killed,” Cejvanovic, who was four when they arrived in Vancouver, tells CNN. “All sorts of thing can happen.”
Reflecting on his time in the refugee camps, he says his mother Rahmana did everything she could to shield him from the realities of war — and to escape for a better way of life.
“I felt pretty safe. Your parents at that time, they try to keep you as happy as you can be,” he says. “They don’t want you to be miserable. They don’t want you to go through the same emotions they’re going through at that time.”
His parents had already separated when he was just eight months old, and he left most of his extended family behind in Bosnia — though some relatives moved to other parts of Europe and the U.S.
“I would definitely say I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve been back a few times in Bosnia. Those people there really work to live, whereas in places like North America and the Western world, you work to enjoy yourself and get ahead in life. Over there, they really have to push themselves to get ahead.”
Now 25, Cejvanovic’s burning desire to succeed has pushed him to the brink of a historic appearance at Rio 2016, hoping Canada will take part as sevens makes its Olympic debut in August.
“We got the opportunity of a lifetime. We embrace that and we’re 100% dedicated to this country — and we’re thinking that, since we owe this country a lot, the best way we could do that is by being the best citizens that we can be,” he says.
“I need to really show Canadians that I’m a proud Canadian, and because they gave me and my mom a second chance, then I’m going to go out there and gun for them.”
While Europe struggles to deal with the influx of migrants from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, Canada’s efforts have been hailed by the UN Refugee Agency as a model for the world to follow.
With more than 45,000 refugees expected to be resettled in Canada in 2016 alone, Cejvanovic is all too aware of how many lives will be changed.
“I really do appreciate what Canada is doing. Every country has their issues and political stand, and what Canada is doing at the moment is exactly what needs to be done,” he says.
“You see all these people that are sitting in war-torn countries, countries that are much more war-torn now than Bosnia ever was when that war struck. Letting these people in, you’re saving hundreds of thousands of lives. You’re giving someone a second opportunity at life.”
Cejvanovic acknowledges that terror attacks around the world have made people wary of accepting migrants, especially in such large numbers as have come through Turkey, Greece and the former Yugoslav nations into Western Europe.
However, he chooses to see the potential benefits rather than the pitfalls.
“I put a Facebook ad up a couple of months ago when the events occurred in Paris and I said, ‘Don’t let the poison sink in, just keep on smiling.’ The second you let it affect you then you’re just going to be opposed to everything.”
Cejvanovic believes that helping refugees can ultimately help the people they’ve left behind, as well as benefit their new home country.
“You never know what kind of athlete is going to be walking through that door when he or she arrives in Canada from these war-torn countries. Out of say, 10,000, if even a handful were going to make a good impact on this society, you never know what this new person is going to do for that country,” he says.
“In Bosnia right now, the sport is getting bigger and bigger and I’m getting emails all the time messaging me, asking me to come back to Bosnia to show my face and help the sport grow. If my face on the cover of World Rugby helps them, then I guess I’m doing my job, doing my part for being Bosnian — obviously playing for another country but helping the people who don’t get too much help.”
Cejvanovic grew up playing soccer, and competed in athletics as a shot-putter, but he thrived when he switched to rugby.
He represented Canada in the 15-a-side game before making his sevens debut in 2014.
“I love rugby sevens so much because it pushes me. I’m not your average kind of sevens player — I’m one of the bigger guys in the field and I really need to push myself on the pitch mentally and physically,” he says.
“There’s no time for walking around in sevens rugby, you have to be switched on for 14 minutes. It brings out your true character as an athlete because you may have all the natural skills in the world, but if you don’t have the mental toughness and you can’t really push yourself for a longer period of time, then the sport is not really for you.”
Canada is aiming to be one of the 12 men’s teams competing in sevens in Rio. The North Americans failed to earn a place in the first two rounds of qualifying; their third and final chance will be at a repechage tournament in Monaco in June to compete in a 16-nation repechage tournament.
Fiji, Great Britain, New Zealand and South Africa qualified by finishing in the top four of the 2014-15 World Sevens Series, while Argentina, the United States, France, Japan, Australia and Kenya earned spots at regional events and host Brazil is guaranteed a place.
Canada was ranked ninth in last year’s world series, and is 13th after six of the 10 rounds in 2015-16.
Cejvanovic has every incentive to grab that last qualifying place and perform on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
“The Olympics really brings out the best in everybody … everybody is expecting to medal. Come August, guns are going to be blazing. People that are new to sevens are going to see a different type of sport and they’re going to really enjoy it.”
Appearing at the Olympics would also be his bold statement to the world.
“I don’t want to be just like the person next to me,” he concludes. “I want to be Admir Cejvanovic, the kid from Bosnia who plays rugby for Canada.”
