Safwan khalil biography for kids
Born in Tripoli, Lebanon, he has lived in Australia since he was a child, attending Lurnea High School in south-western Sydney and training at his brother's.
Safwan Khalil (born in Tripoli, Lebanon) is a taekwondo athlete from Australia....
Identity Matters: 'I couldn't imagine growing up in Lebanon in those days' - Safwan Khalil
Safwan Khalil may be a star athlete but family comes before fame.
It has shaped who he is.
"There's seven boys, one girl in my family, and I've got twelve nieces, and about 150,000 aunties, uncles and cousins," he said. "Everything we do just comes from a very big support network."
Safwan's family migrated from war-torn Lebanon to Australia when he was just eight months old.
"When we came here, we were probably the only Lebanese family out in our area, and going to school with a cucumber and a Lebanese sandwich, we got picked on a fair bit, not speaking much English at all," he said.
"But, I never felt like I had to be an Australian. I sort of felt like I fell into it, just by growing up playing cricket and footy with the boys.
I sort of felt like I grew up as an Aussie with a Leba