Connor O’Leary, 30, was born in Cronulla, New South Wales, to an Australian father and a Japanese mother. Growing up in predominantly white Cronulla, he felt compelled to hide his Japanese roots to fit in and avoid confrontation. The 2005 riots, in particular, left a lasting impression on him, amplifying his fears of being targeted due to his Asian heritage. ⁠ ⁠ O’Leary switched his allegiance to Japan in 2023 and was selected to join its national team for the Summer Olympics earlier this month. He now speaks openly about his Japanese heritage, aiming to inspire those with multicultural backgrounds to embrace and be proud of their diverse identities.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 🏄‍♂️Read the full article on our website in our linkinbio ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💬Comment “email” to sign up to our daily newsletter.⁠ ⁠ 📰Follow us for the latest Asian News NextShark⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #news #connoroleary #japaneseaustralian #parisolympics #cronulla #southwales #surfing #japaneseheritage