Samia Yusuf Omar and Global Women’s Running
By Rebecca Tolkoff
The news flash in my mind has been the same headline for months: “The emergence of global SPORTSWOMANSHIP.” Female runners from the backroads of New England to the back yards of women in developing nations are networking support and sisterhood. We stand for one another, we support one another, and we are looking out for each other. Some of us are really fast and win championships and road races, some of us ‘win’ at 4:30 AM wakeups to get our miles in before the family rush hour, some of us are on a journey of empowerment, some of us enjoy the camaraderie of a run club, and some of us enjoy the alone time pounding the pavement. It’s our therapy and source of spirituality. There is a growing global increase in the number of female runners in the world. Our goal is to grow women’s running—to free, inspire, lift, and mobilize women everywhere. The challenge is to step into the shoes of women in developing nations, in areas with less rights for women, in refugee camps, in war zones. Can running truly be a safe and accessible activity for all women? Can running serve to lift up and unify women across all borders?
Safety is a huge issue for females, sometime to the shock of the men we train and live with. Even in peaceful countries, wealthy countries with resources, education, and trained police, women are assaulted, and lose their lives walking or running outdoors. Women walk the earth with a level of fear we seem to understand and appreciate, and some men understand and are starting to take real steps to help change the environment. Train Your Roar is taking part in a national effort called #RunnerSafetyAwarenessWeek. We will be traveling to New York City and Boston at the end of the month to train runners and walkers to be safer and to watch out for one another. In the United States, women are pushing to take back their right to feel safe running outside. Still, we are privileged. We live in a society with more gender equality than most, more peace than most, and more wealth than most. Women in other countries face deeper safety issues and certainly experience additional religious and cultural barriers. The short life of a modern-day running pioneer caught my attention.
Samia Omar was a pioneer in the running world of Somaliland. Born in 1991, Samia grew up in Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War. She was a sprinter and loved to run. Despite receiving harassment from local militia, she trained. Samia’s mother, Dahabo Ali, supported and encouraged her training despite the difficult and dangerous circumstances. In 2008, the Somali Olympic Committee selected Samia to represent Somalia in the Olympic Games. She raced with her heart and placed second to last in her event. In reference to her place in the Olympics, Samia is quoted, “We know that we are different from other athletes. But we don’t want to show it. We try our best to look like the rest. We understand we are not anywhere near the level of the other competitors here. We understand that very, very well. But more than anything else, we would like to show the dignity of ourselves and our country.” –Samia Yusuf Omar 2008.
Getty Images
Tragically, Samia lost her life in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea at the age of 21. She was seeking a better life and a safer place to train. Though her life and career ended tragically and too soon, she represents a bravery that serves to inspire and motivate others to take steps where they normally would hesitate.
We have our own brave heroines in America. You may be familiar with Kathrine Switzer’s brave registration into the 1967 Boston Marathon. Women were not allowed on any marathon course back then, so she creatively registered under her initials, K.C. Switzer and wore bib 261 at the start line. Mid-race, the race director chased her down, grabbed at her shirt. She had been training for a marathon, and he had been sitting behind a desk, so she made a swift getaway. A group of men on the course encircled her, protected her from further assault and allowed her to finish the race. She continued on to pioneer more “herstoric” running events and today heads 261 Fearless, a growing movement of female running leaders and running groups. Community leaders are trained to empower women to connect and take control of their lives through the freedom gained by running. Kathrine Switzer visits 261Fearless running groups and runs races with them around the globe. “We run together to lift each other up, to keep each other safe, and help each other gain more freedom and power to live.”
Even small American companies, such as Oiselle, are making headlines. Oiselle created a national team any female can belong to called the Volée Team. Upon joining the “Volée Team”, you become part of a national sisterhood of runners. Perks include access to hundreds of run clubs around the United States, discounted gear, Facebook group support, and hearty race support. Sally Bergesen, CEO and Founder of Oiselle, is supporting the changing world of women’s running in the United States both on an elite and everyday-runner level for all women.
Oiselle’s Sally Bergesen with our friend Kelly Herron (aka @run_kiwi_run) and Roar’s Julie Morrill
Photo credit: Kelly Herron
In the spirit of making running accessible to all, there is a global effort that began in New York City. Alison Desir is a runner, a mother, a therapist, an activist, and founder of many running groups in NYC. She founded the Global Womxn Run Collective. It is a collection of womxn leaders claiming their own space within the running community. They aim to empower womxn leaders “that are not given a seat at the table,” including women of color and people who identify as female. The end goal is to shift the running industry and landscape. Step one is creating a database of womxn-led run groups around the globe. The possibilities created by this database are endless, I am really excited to support the efforts of this collective.
Another new effort is focused on women in countries with more religious and cultural restrictions. Free To Run is based in Afghanistan and Iraq. Their mission is to enable women and girls to safely and boldly engage is outdoor activity in conflict-affected regions. A unique team of runners, human rights activists, travel experts, and journalists make the magic happen. They create marathons where there are none and bring runners in to run with the few locals who step to the start line. Recently, a documentary called, “The Secret Marathon” emerged from the team of this organization. The film tells the story a few brave women who risk their safety to run a brand new and very tiny marathon in Afghanistan.
Can a simple activity, such as running, inspire greater gender equality globally? I believe it can. There is great joy, a meaningful benefit to women’s health, and camaraderie that goes along with it. It’s also a bit of a litmus test for a society. It’s a pretty good bet that if a woman feels safe and confident going out for a run in her neighborhood, her safety, freedom, and equality are more secure. I am excited to help promote women’s running globally and help create a safe running culture for everyone around globe. The roaring 20’s are here. Women are taking back the power they have always had deep inside them.