Ramla was born in the 1990s in Mogadishu, Somalia, during the Civil War. Be part of a family of seven siblings, one of whom was killed when a grenade fell in the courtyard of his house while playing. Fearing for their lives and the need for calm and security, the Ali family, like thousands more, had to flee the nation they loved, addressing any of the overcrowded boats that took eight weeks to reach Kenya.
Then, Ramla was about 12 years old and during the crossing saw many passengers fall ill or even starving. This was the beginning of many challenges that the now model and activist has had to face.
After living as a refugee in Kenya and after a series of trips and journeys, the family eventually made it to London, where Ramla began a new phase in her life, now attending school. But then her classmates started making fun of her for being overweight. This led her to change her habits and show herself that she was capable of leading a healthy life and be in shape. He joined a local gym, the box caught his eye. He did it in secret and never told his family because I feared his disapproval, since Muslim women should not practice sports and even less one that was considered masculine.
When he represented England in tournaments, he told his parents that he went out for a run, until one of her brothers recognized her on television after winning one of several titles it gave to its host country. Her parents forced her to resign at that time, but she took it up later anyway, despite having to go against her parents’ preferences and beliefs. She had found in the box a way to stand out and feel more complete.
Years later, with the help of her husband and English coach Richard Moore – grandson of the late soccer coach Dave Sexton -, Ramla reconciled with her family.
By not making the selection of Great Britain to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Ramla received in 2018 the call of the Somalia sports federation to compete for her country of origin, becoming the first boxer in history to represent Somalia at the Women’s World Championships held in New Delhi, India, that same year. In addition, helped establish the Somalia boxing federation in Mogadishu. At the Tokyo Olympics he reached the last 16; Her dream of becoming Somalia’s first Olympic champion still stands, so she will keep trying.
This strong and determined woman, who has also stood out as an ambassador and model for brands such as Nike and Pantene, seeks to improve in and out of the ring, and wants to serve as motivation for his nation. Therefore, your most important role is as an activist.
Ramla volunteers to teach self defense classes that provide women with the necessary tools to take care of themselves and become aware of the domestic violence. He also wants to help them to fight for what they believe in, to change their role in the Muslim community and guide them towards a better, more structured and communicative life. To make matters worse, she is a leader seeking a better future for refugees in today’s divided world.
Not for nothing did the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, cast her as one of the 15 Forces of Change on the cover of British Vogue in September last year.
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