Success Stories
Zamzam’s Story
Zamzam was one of two athletes representing Somalia at the 2012 London Olympics, competing in the Women’s 400m. To her distress, while competing, she began to receive threats to her life – just for being a woman in sport. Fortunately, she was granted asylum in the UK, but with no one to turn to, she became homeless, living in a room at a hostel. And after eight months, the death threats started again, and Zamzam became anxious, isolated and too scared to leave her hostel.
It was the charity DePaul Trust that introduced us to Zamzam, and that was her turning point. Her confidence began to grow. She built a new community, regained her passion for running and improved her housing situation.
Supported by Jamie, her Mentor, Zamzam began racing again. And in 2017, she took part in the ‘I Move London’ relay – a world-record attempt to run a 4,000-mile continuous relay over 30 days and nights. 2,000 runners from all over the UK competed in 5km and 10km legs across the city, and Zamzam led the final group over the finish line to break the record
An inspirational woman and runner, Zamzam is passionate about helping other young people and showing them that nothing is impossible. In 2018, she was honoured in the Spirit of the London Marathon Awards, alongside 25 others, including Paula Radcliffe, David Weir and the Grenfell Firemen. She now volunteers with us as a coach, helping other vulnerable young people find their passion for running.
