Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
Fatima Painda hopes her journey from refugee to ultramarathon runner will inspire more women to take up sport
A former Afghan refugee who works as an NHS nurse wants to inspire more Muslim women to take up sport after completing a 27-hour ultramarathon.
Fatima Painda, who lives in Peterborough, grew up in the town of Ghazni, in a mountainous region of Afghanistan, but fled to the UK aged 14 to escape the Taliban.
Ms Painda, an assistant sister at Peterborough City Hospital, has embarked on a global running challenge this summer and will run trails and marathons in 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, “if not the first Afghan woman”, to complete the annual CCC 100km ultra-endurance race in France – part of the UTMB World Series.
Ms. Painda and her six siblings grew up working on their father's farm after school, climbing hills with friends and living a “good” life, she said.
Her school was an hour's walk from her house, and she and her friends often ran after trucks and jumped on them to avoid walking. It was his first running experience.
But she and her family fled after the Taliban took over the country in 1996.
During their trip, his family was shot and killed by the Taliban. They were also robbed of their belongings at the Pakistani border.
Fatima Painda
Fatima Painda completed the ultra-endurance race in September
“I didn’t feel the need to fit in”
Fatima Painda
Fatima Painda and her trainer Paul Harkins, 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 Harkins at Peterborough Athletics Track for around 15 years.
Mr Harkins described her as “inspiring” and said he had high aspirations for her.
“I felt lost when we moved here. I missed the mountains,” Ms Painda said.
“My coach has been with me through my ups and downs.
“Yes, there is stigma and barriers. But I didn't feel the need to speak English to run. For me, running means having sneakers and being able to conquer the world.
“I didn’t feel the need to fit in or change… I know Muslim women who have faced stereotypes.
“If someone who doesn't know me says something to me… I'm not going to react. I feel like it has nothing to do with me, but maybe they're going through something themselves .
“It's not easy to be like that. But you have to have very solid foundations.”
Ms Painda juggles 13-hour shifts in the hospital's A&E department with her running, while also providing personal fitness training.
She was featured in the November issue of Women's Running for being a role model for women everywhere.
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 pushed her to continue.
Ms Painda hopes to be “a voice for change” and an inspiration to other women, particularly those in the Muslim community.
She also paid tribute to her family and called them her “backbone.”
“Life for women in Afghanistan is extremely difficult. It’s heartbreaking to see them deprived of their fundamental rights,” she said.
“When I crossed the finish line in Chamonix, I felt like literally all the Afghan women were with me. I felt so strong and so amazing. It was a great experience.”
She added: “There is so much happening in the world – in Afghanistan, with the Hazara people, in Palestine, in Lebanon. So if we can spread kindness at every opportunity, we should take it.
“I'm not going to stop running or raising awareness about these issues. If I can change a life, either by running or by healing and showing kindness, I will continue.”
