Aliir Aliir grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp and is now showing the way for QBE Sydney Swans Academy players with diverse stories of their own.

The 23-year-old was born to Sudanese parents and on Tuesday paid a visit to the 2018 Under-15 National Male Diversity Championships in Blacktown, the land of the Darug people.

The Championships expose Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural players, coaches, umpires, doctors and trainers to an elite AFL program.

The Championships are in their fifth year and have drawn more than 300 players across 13 teams representing all states and territories.

One of the Academy players taking part is Ciaran Flynn, who is of Irish background and hails from Bulli on the South Coast.

Flynn said the Diversity Championships remind him of what’s possible.

“There are people from so many walks of life here,” Flynn said.

“When you look at how well run the Championships are and how much effort goes into the running of it, you see the support that’s there and it urges you on.

“Meeting Aliir is pretty awesome too and it shows you there are no limits.”