Refugee marathon run a success story

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This article was published 16/06/2024 (472 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Look how far they’ve come.

Two years ago, Afghan refugee Fatemeh Jafari, 28, immigrated to Canada with her younger brother Ali. On Sunday, Jafari finished her first-ever marathon — in her newly adopted home — after two years of training and perseverance.

“I feel great,” an emotional Jafari told the Free Press after completing the Manitoba Marathon. “It means a lot of things. I don’t know how to tell you. This is more than a family for us. More than a community.”

The Jafari siblings are among four refugee athletes who ran in the 46th edition of the marathon with Lamp Lifeboat Ladder, a program of Reed Smith LLP which settles refugees to Canada and helps them rebuild their lives.

Supported by The World Refugee and Migration Council (WRMC), Lamp Lifeboat Ladder launched its running team in January 2022. The international group includes over 35 runners from nine countries who participate in 21K and 42K races in three continents.

“We wanted to think of a way to help people have a sense of safety and a sense of community,” said Jayne Fleming, Lamp Lifeboat Ladder director. “Being together, doing something that was fun and healthy.”

Fleming also participates in the races with the running team, completing 21 kilometers.

“Being able to come to a safe country, especially because they’re so young, gives them an opportunity to have a life, mental health, education and dreams,” said Fleming. “That was really important for us and for them.”

Jafari cried tears of joy as she crossed the finish line with her pacer Jeff Stoub, who works with the WRMC, in a time of 4:08:32.

“Jeff was with me all of the race,” said Jafari. “And he was telling me you can do this. There was so many times I wanted to give up, but I had people supporting me like Jeff and Jayne.”

“I’m very proud of her,” said Jafari’s brother Ali, 19, who ran the half with a time of 2:00:50.

Jafari currently lives in Toronto working as a yoga instructor, after learning to teach yoga in a refugee camp in Athens, Greece.

“(Canada) has been my home,” said Jafari. “It’s been my home. There are a lot of things that I’ve experienced here, and I’m feeling so grateful for them, especially our running team. Because it brings all of us together.”

“We’re like a family,” added Mdyn Salahadin, who finished the half in the exact same 2:00:50 with the younger Jafari. “They’re all so supportive.”

Salahadin, 19, and his brother Mohaned Salahadin, 31, who emigrated to Toronto from Sudan, ran in the half marathon and full marathon respectively.

The WRMC and Lamp Lifeboat Ladder will be starting a program in Manitoba to help women and girls from the America’s who have experienced gender-based violence re-settle in Winnipeg and Halifax, hoping to build a permanent pathway.

“Manitoba has a long history of welcoming and resettling refugees,” said Fleming. “Organizations in Manitoba have been very excited about the program and welcoming.”

For the running program, Fleming hopes to see more refugee athletes join and encourages current team members to attempt longer distances.

Donations to Lamp Lifeboat Ladder can be made at lamplifeboatladder.org/donate/

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca