Sean Fong dominating life on the jiu-jitsu mat

When Sean Fong was seven years old, he woke up in hospital in an unfamiliar body after a terrible accident.
He could no longer run around with his schoolmates in the sugar cane fields where he grew up in Fiji, or play rugby like all the other kids.
And so Sean retreated into the water, where he found peace and freedom, eventually breaking a swimming world record after moving to Australia.
He swapped the pool for the grappling mat when he decided to walk into a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym, and rose through the ranks to become world champion.
The so-called gentle martial art has given Sean the chance to prove himself as a man not defined by his physical differences, and to help those who society perceives as vulnerable and defenceless, to shatter illusions.
Originally broadcast in June 2023
CREDITS:
Carmel Rooney, Executive Producer
Richard Fidler, Presenter
Meggie Morris, Producer