Zamzam competed in the Women’s 400 metres in the London 2012 Olympic Games for Somalia and had a passion to represent her country and show that women could, and should be able to, compete on an equal footing with men. This led to her and her family receiving death threats from people who claimed to have connections to the militant group in Somalia. Fearing for her safety, she claimed Asylum in the UK and tried to begin a new life.

She initially stayed with relations, but they would only allow her to stay if she agreed to work at home for them and not pursue her education or a career. She left but struggled to find somewhere to live and, during this time, Zamzam stopped training due to stress and being unable to sleep or eat properly. The Running Charity first met Zamzam when she attended one of our running sessions at our partners DePaul, who had helped her find somewhere to live and look for a job.

Zamzam’s was one of the first young people at The Running Charity to  enthusiasm and positive spirit and her passion for running saw her quickly become a committed member of The Running Charity work. Now employed, renting privately, a vocal voice around women’s rights and having completed The London Marathon 2017, Zamzam is an inspiration to our current members and the running community.

“Having The Running Charity was life changing”

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simply text IRUN42 plus the amount you wish to donate to 70070

for e.g. “IRUN42 £4” to 70070

or to volunteer email info@therunningcharity.org