(Source: World Athletics)
From a relatively young age, Seyfu Jamaal Tahir didn’t feel safe in Ethiopia. Aged just 16, he fled his home country in search of a better life with his journey first taking him through Sudan and Libya, during which he spent 18 days in the Sahara Desert with hardly any water to drink.
He eventually made it to Tripoli in Libya, from which he crossed the Mediterranean Sea to make it to Italy. He then travelled north through to France and eventually on to the UK where he was able to start a new life.
Six months after settling in London, Jamaal, who used to run shorter distances as a schoolboy, started running for fitness. He soon discovered parkruns, and he finished second in his first ever attempt, clocking 17:11 for 5km. He returned one month later and won. By the end of that year, his PB was down to 15:48.
“One of the local runners offered to find an athletics club for me, and so I joined London Heathside,” says Jamaal. “They taught me how to speak English, they helped me, gave me shoes, everything.
“I now have an agent, Ayo Dada. He has supported a lot of athletes, and he was the one who helped me get on the Athlete Refugee Team. He supports me a lot, he finds races, and gives me a lot of confidence.
“There are a lot of refugee athletes in the UK,” he adds. “It feels good to be part of a team.”
