"I'm very pleased. I was desperate for a Commonwealth Games medal and finally I achieved it," the Cameroon-born athlete said.

"I had to dig deep today and I'm very pleased that I succeeded in making all my lifts. It is the first time I've made six from six (complete lifts) at an international competition.

"This medal means hard work, courage, dedication and perseverance. I had to wait 12 long years.

"It's been a full circle for me and I'm very pleased to have finally achieved this dream, which I at some point felt was never going to happen."

After finishing fifth in the 85kg at Glasgow 2014, the 30-year-old didn't follow his teammates home. Instead, he escaped from their accommodation in the Commonwealth village and spent two months sleeping rough in southern England before beginning to rebuild his life in the country.

"When I left, I didn't really know what was going to happen," said Tchatchet II, who fled Cameroon for reasons he still doesn't feel comfortable talking about.

"I didn't know I was going to be homeless, I didn't know I would go through all the struggles that I went through. I couldn't think for a second that I would be in Glasgow to win a silver medal."

He was granted refugee status in 2016, represented the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and later became eligible to compete for England.

In one of the best performances of his career, Tchatchet II totalled 374kg, only beaten by Fiji's Taniela Tuisuva Rainibogi, whose Games record total of 378kg secured gold.

The silver medallist's mother, Eveline Njike (pictured with her son), even travelled from Cameroon to see him.

"It was the first time she's watched me compete," he said. "I started weightlifting many years ago, and she's watched me train but never compete. It was really good to have her in the crowd, cheering.

"Hearing her voice motivated me to give it my all. She played a massive part in my performance today."

Eveline then joined her son on stage to celebrate.

"She's very proud of me. I remember talking to her when I left the Commonwealth village. I told her I didn't have a place to go and she was very concerned.

"Seeing the smile on her face today, jumping around and having the medal around her neck, I was very happy."

'This medal means hope'

During Tchatchet II's darkest times, he attempted to end his life. On Monday, he will be back at work as a mental health nurse, helping people face the struggles he overcame, and he wants his silver to be a reminder that it is possible to turn a life around.

"This medal means hope, perseverance and to never give up," he said.

"My story wasn't straightforward. Despite the hardships we go through, there's always a possibility. We have to believe in ourselves and keep pushing.

"Life is all about struggles, whether at work or school or at home. Keeping our heads up and keeping pushing is the right thing to do."

While the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games are "not on my radar right now", Tchatchet II has no plans to retire again just yet. He stepped away from the sport two years ago before returning when Glasgow was announced as the 2026 host.

"I thought 'Maybe that's fate. Maybe that's where it's meant to be.' And it was.

"I might be going to the (International Weightlifting Federation) World Championships in (Ningbo) China, then after that, we have the Europeans. It's going to be competition after competition, so I might extend it to (the Ahmedabad Commonwealth Games in) India in 2030, I'll only be 34 then."