Four years ago, Ali Najem did not even know what surf lifesaving was.
But he was pushed into a now-defunct program called On the Same Wave, which brought Muslim youths from western Sydney to Cronulla to teach them how to become lifeguards.
It was launched in the aftermath of the 2005 Cronulla Riots.
Now, Ali is a national champion in the sport and an integral part of the Wanda Surf club in Cronulla.
He told SBS he was once too afraid to go to the beach following that fateful day 10 years ago.
"When I first heard I had to join a surf club part of Cronulla I was kind of scared because growing up and hearing about what happened, I hadn't gone to a beach for three years before that,” the 20-year-old said.
“So then once I joined Wanda Surf Club, if anything I had the complete opposite response. Everyone welcomed me with open arms, like I was part of the family; and I think Surf Club to me was probably closer to me than anything else."
Ali has competed in state, national and even world Surf Lifesaving championships - and is eyeing the 2016 title in Amsterdam.
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He travels to the Sutherland Shire every day to train, and said he cannot live without it.
"I've been to two world titles, three Australian titles, three state titles, I've won numerous Gold medals, you know I've been Australian champion at 19, so Surf Lifesaving is opened a pathway up for me in many other careers,” he said.
“It got me a part-time job, it got me success, it's bringing me to where I am today - right now - this is what Surf Lifesaving has introduced to me, a whole new life.”
While travelling from Bexley, in the heart of Sydney’s west, to the Sutherland Shire in the south every day for training might seem like a chore, Ali Najem loves every minute of it.
“I love my drive, every morning and night - half an hour here, half an hour back," he said.
"The half an hour here I think about how great my day's going to be; the half an hour back I think about how great my day was so I can't complain," he said.
27-year-old Abbas Hussein was one of the first people to join the programme.
Source: SBS
He told SBS it was such an inspiring experience, he is now studying medicine to specialise in Emergency Response.
"I already have recommended this program not only to my friends of a similar background, but I've got a few friends that have joined different surf clubs across the state just because of how enjoyable their experiences were," Mr Hussein said.
It's a far cry from the mood in Sydney's south 10 years ago.
'A National Disgrace'
It was - a series of clashes between white Australians and people of 'Middle Eastern appearance'.
On December 11, 2005, after a group of Lebanese men assaulted two lifesavers, thousands of white Australians converged on Cronulla Beach.
Some went on the attack against anyone of Middle Eastern appearance.
The result was chaos.
A large convoy of youths and young men of Middle Eastern descent from western Sydney then retaliated with further violence that evening in Cronulla and other suburbs.
In all, 26 people were injured, 104 arrested and nearly 300 charges were laid.
Ten years later, Sutherland Shire mayor Carmelo Pesce has said racism is not the Cronulla way.
"I am part of the community. We have a variety of different nationalities in the Shire and I've never really seen a racist part of this community. That's not what Cronulla or the entire Shire is all about," Cr Pesce said.
Around Cronulla, though, one finds a mixed response from locals about how the mood is today.
Some say they believe things have changed for the better, others say for the worse, while some suggest nothing has changed at all.
"I think a lot of people have forgotten what's happened from 10 years ago," a local ice cream vendor said.
"The Muslim men have definitely settled down because they're not bullying like they used to," a local named Pam Matthews told SBS.
"It's very monocultural – it’s very Anglo, it's too Anglo," argued another Shire local named Tony.
Abbas Hussein believes it is time for people to forget the negatives of the past, and instead focus on a more positive future.
"I've got full confidence in the Australian community at large that there's nothing that will ever return to what happened back then,” he said.
“It was really a small minority that over-exaggerated the situation on both parts, and which was of course partly a misunderstanding, partly testosterone-fuelled anger that had really no part of any society so I don't think much of anything will come from the 10 year anniversary in terms of setting anything back."
