Hayder Shkara fell in love with martial arts in 1998, as a 7-year-old child in the suburbs of Sydney. He made his first national team in 2006 and by 2011 was competing to represent Australia at the London 2012 Olympic Games.  A loss to a New Zealand competitor in the Oceania qualifiers saw him miss out on selection and spiral into a severe depression. By his own admission, Hayder hit rock bottom, but he set himself the challenge to beat the same competitor to qualify for the Rio 2016 Games. Four years later, he achieved his dream and represented Australia in Brazil.

Hayder has also achieved another holy grail of sport – balancing competing with a dual career. He is a principal lawyer with Justice Family Lawyers and also runs a charity for disadvantaged youth in Western Sydney.

He chats to GT about his journey to the Rio 2016 Olympics and beyond, his passion for his charity and why ‘families that kick together, stick together’!