In her own words: a refugee's story of forced migration, trauma, resilience, and soccer

This paper presents the narrative of a young refugee woman ('Makena') as she moves between Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and the United States. Drawing upon the analytic practice of creative non-fiction, her life history is shared, based upon three interviews with Makena and one interview with her coach. Makena's narrative, in this form, enables readers to enter into her lived experiences with forced migration, trauma, and resilience, as well as her experiences with two Sport for Development (SfD) interventions: Street Soccer USA and the Homeless World Cup. Through her narrative, readers learn about the role SfD interventions can play in the lives of refugees, exploring both their possibilities and their limitations. Ultimately, Makena expands our understanding of trauma survivors' experiences within (and beyond) sport.