Refugee runner is Afghan women's 'voice for change'

Fatima Painda hopes her journey from refugee to ultramarathon runner will inspire more women to turn to sport

A former Afghan refugee who works as an NHS nurse wants to inspire more women, especially from the Muslim community into sports after she completed a 26-hour ultramarathon.

Fatima Painda, who lives in Peterborough, grew up in the city of Ghazni, in a mountainous region of Afghanistan, but fled to the UK when she was 14 to escape the Taliban.

Ms Painda, a deputy sister at North West Anglia Foundation Trust, embarked on a global running challenge this summer, and she will be running trails and marathons across 26 cities.

She aims to be a "voice for change" and raise awareness and funds for Afghan women facing injustice.

In August, she became one of the few Afghan women, "or even the first Afghan woman", to complete the annual 100km ultra-endurance CCC race in France – part of the UTMB World Series.

Ms Painda and her siblings grew up working on their father's farm after school, climbing hills with friends and living a "beautiful" life, she said.

Her school was an hour-long walk from home, and often she and her friends would run after lorries and jump on to avoid walking. That was her first experience of running.

But she and her family fled a few years after the Taliban first took over the country in 1996.

During their journey, her family was shot at by the Taliban. They were also robbed of their belongings at the Pakistan border.

Fatima Painda completed the ultra-endurance race in September

'I didn't feel the need to fit in'

Fatima Painda and her coach Paul Larkins, who share a "special bond"

In Peterborough, she attended Nene Park Academy and, in 2019, she graduated from the University of East Anglia.

She has been training with her coach Paul Larkins at Peterborough Athletics Track for about 15 years.

Mr Larkins described her as "inspirational" and said he had big aspirations for her.

"I felt lost when we first moved here. I missed the mountains," Ms Painda said.

"My coach has been with me through my lows and high times.

"Yes, there is stigma and barriers. But I didn't feel that I need to speak English to run. For me running means you've got trainers on and you can conquer the world.

"I didn't feel the need to fit in or change... I know Muslim women who have faced stereotypes.

"If a person who doesn't know me says something to me... I am not going to react. I feel it is nothing to do with me, but they might be going through something themselves.

"It is not easy to be that way. But you have to be so solid in your foundation."

Ms Painda juggles nearly 13-hour shifts working in the hospital with her running, as well as offering personal fitness training.

She was featured in the November issue of Women's Running for being a role model for women around the globe.

Over the years, she has been an ambassador for Free to Run, a charity set up to empower women through sport in Afghanistan and Iraq.

She said her love and passion for running and nursing kept her going.

Ms Painda hopes to be "a voice for change" and an inspiration for other women, especially from the Muslim community.

She has also paid tribute to her family and called them her "backbone".

“Life for women in Afghanistan is extremely challenging. It’s heartbreaking to see them being deprived of fundamental rights," she said.

"When I crossed that finish line in Chamonix, I felt that literally all the Afghan women were with me. I felt so strong and so great. It was a beautiful experience."

She added: "There is so much going around in the world – in Afghanistan, to Hazara people, in Palestine, in Lebanon. So if we can spread kindness at any opportunity, we must take it.

"I am not going to stop running or raising awareness about the issues. If I can change one life, either through running or through nursing and kindness, I will keep going."