World Refugee Day: On and Warner Bros. Discovery launch new collaboration championing stories of refugees and athletes

To mark World Refugee Day (20 June), Swiss sportswear brand, On, and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe are collaborating to bring brand new original programming and an array of content that shines a light on the endeavours of refugees and athletes and the challenges they face in everyday life.

Content including On’s The Right to Race feature film, starring refugee athlete Dominic Lobalu, premiering on Eurosport 1 (Tuesday 20 June, 20:00 CEST, 19:00 UK time), will better connect sports fans with refugee causes. Alongside this, Warner Bros. Discovery will highlight the role athletics can play in improving lives through the production of six athlete profiles for On ambassadors.

In association with Hungry Man Productions, On presents The Right to Race – an original documentary written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Richard Bullock. Developed with archive footage compiled from as early as 2017, the new film follows Dominic Lobalu from his beginnings in Nairobi to life in London, Copenhagen, Monaco, and Brussels and centres around the special relationship he forged with his coach in Switzerland, Markus Hagmann – a relationship born from a shared love of running.

Dominic Lobalu’s struggle to be recognised by World Athletics as an international contender representing his home country takes centre stage as negotiations continue with the sport’s governing body. His remarkable story of personal growth, courage, and gripping determination in his quest for representation is now revealed in a full-length feature film released ahead of this year’s World Athletics Championships.

“The Right to Race is a captivating story of unwavering grit and charisma that personifies the enduring human spirit,” says Feliciano Robayna, the film’s Executive Producer and Global Head of Sports Marketing at On. “We have been following Dominic’s journey from his origins to his new home and life as a leading athlete in Switzerland. Despite all the setbacks, he has grown to become one of today’s most respected competitors on the world stage. His story is not only about competing and making it to the top but also about representation and belonging. His dreams will undoubtedly come true, thanks to his belief in himself and the support of those around him.”

Mike Rich, Head of Sports Marketing Solutions at Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “We’re pleased to collaborate with On to champion the stories of refugee athletes and bring greater awareness of their journeys to our audiences. Combining our creative content expertise with our unmatched international reach, we look forward to supporting On to help scale the impact of its work to millions of sports fans across Europe.”

“The Right to Race is largely a story on the trials and tribulations of a refugee athlete,” says Bullock. “It’s also a touching story of how a growing friendship can persevere and, as a united front, never give up the fight. We were also glad to capture the innermost thoughts and feelings of those who represent World Athletics as a compelling juxtaposition on how the sport’s authority views and responds to the plight of Dominic, as a refugee, trying to claim his identity not just as an athlete but as a human.”

Ahead of Tokyo 2020, Warner Bros. Discovery and Eurosport partnered with the IOC and UNHCR to launch the award-winning Home Crowd initiative with the aim of building a fanbase to unite the international community in support of the Refugee Olympic Team containing fans, athletes, national heroes, sporting greats and more.

Partner at Hungry Man Productions and award-winning filmmaker Richard Bullock has collaborated with On to write and direct other popular short films, including “RUN: The Athlete Refugee Team Story” and the award-winning animated production “Black Ice”.