Gone are the days when women were confined to the kitchen and were expected to handle household chores. Today, women have overcome odds and have achieved their dreams. While the challenges and situations might be different, one thing that remains intrinsic to womanhood is grit and determination.
Curly Tales and Vatika team up to launch the Vatika Voices- an initiative to shed light on women in GCC who have made the world sit up and take note. First on our list is Fahima Falaknaz- UAE’s first female boxer. Curly Tales Dubai got chatty with Fahima to find out how she derived confidence to become what she is and to shine in front of the world. Here’s how she did it.
It’s not often that we hear of women boxers, but Fahima Falaknaz broke boundaries to become what she is today! At 36, Fahima is the first Emirati female boxer to represent the UAE. But she is not one to rest on her laurels. From choosing an off-beat career to making her territory in a male-dominated field, here’s how this boxer got into the ring and lived her dreams.
Life While Growing Up In A Conservative Household
The eldest girl, and the second among eight children in her family, Fahima grew up in an Emirati household. As a child she was always ambitious and loved to try new things, to feed her curiosity. However, as she grew up, Fahima was barred from playing with her brother or with other friends. “I was often told that girls should stay home, take care of their family, and siblings, cook, and be responsible”, says Fahima.
Having grown up in a conservative household, Fahima admits that it took some convincing to get into the sport. Even as a student, Fahima had a keen interest in sports. She took part in a number of activities – from volleyball or basketball – that were available in her school curriculum. “I also enjoyed boxing and martial arts, but because of cultural restrictions, did not take it any further.”
However, fate had it differently and she studied Computer Networking, although she always dreamed of being in the media. “I wanted to be in the media. As a kid, I remember grabbing a newspaper reading it aloud like I was on TV.”
Journey Of Shattering The Glass Ceiling & Becoming A Boxer
Fahima was always passionate about boxing. Nevertheless, it wasn’t till her early 30s when she really tried her life-long ardour. It all started four years ago when a fitness company she was involved with introducing an outdoor “Boxfit” class. She quickly signed up for it and there has been no looking back ever since.
Back then, it was difficult because Fahima didn’t have management over what she wished or the place she wished to go and prepare. Someone from her household needed to take her. As she grew up, it was difficult for her to go to a mixed gym and most gyms didn’t have women trainers. However, Fahima was determined to learn the sport and contacted different trainers. Soon, she started working and had her own car. She kept herself physically fit with regular exercise sessions at a ladies gym. The gym started a group boxing class and Fahima started to develop the skills fast.
It was love at first sight for Fahima, who enjoyed her boxing lessons so much that her partners couldn’t keep up. She then took up personal training sessions and practised with a trainer. Later on, she discovered Real Boxing Only Gym on Instagram and joined them as soon as they opened. Since 2018, the 36-year-old has grown to be an everyday customer to Actual Boxing Solely in Al Quoz, owned by Michelle Kuehn.
Challenges Faced From The Family & The Society
Boxing is a male-dominated sport and Fahima was aware it wouldn’t be easy to convince her parents. However, surprisingly, her parents never stopped her from chasing her dreams. “They know I like tough sports. They were scared of society. My brother is quietly proud about my achievements,” Fahims admits.
How Boxing Changed People’s Attitude Towards Her
The UAE always welcomed women boxers, but back then, the Hijab rule wasn’t there. However, in 2018 it was announced that female fighters would be allowed to wear hijab in international competitions. This groundbreaking announcement opened doors for women like Fahima. She seized the opportunity and became UAE’s first female boxer to represent the country in the Asian Boxing Confederation Championship in April 2019.
“Boxing has become a huge part of my life in the last three years, I have been privileged to be a part of my country’s history and am grateful that I have access to this sport,” said Fahima.
Ever since then, the region has witnessed a dramatic change in attitudes. Fahima admits that society is more supportive, especially men. Although her family was initially stressed about her passion for boxing, things have changed now and they are more understanding of it.
“I am proud of myself for what I am. I was impressed by the reaction of the society – especially men. I didn’t expect them to be understanding and supportive, so that was a pleasant surprise. My family is more supportive now, although it was initially hard for them to accept it”.
Learnings From The Sport
Today, Fahima conducts boxing classes for women, at a gym in Al Quoz. Apart from keeping her physically fit, boxing has also had numerous mental benefits. “The sport has helped me stay focussed, taught me patience, and discipline”, says Fahima. As someone who has a full-time job in Public Relations, work does tend to get stressful at times and throwing in a punch or two, after a long day at work helps her release all the tension.
“When I get out of the office and into the boxing class, I forget everything. The sessions take all the tension out and make me feel stronger”, she says. That said, it’s not easy for women to join mixed exercise classes, as they can feel uncomfortable participating in sports around men they don’t know. However, Fahima is happy to be able to provide this opportunity for women in the region.
Vatika Moment
One of Fahima’s most cherished moments was when she travelled alone for a Spartan race in the USA. This, Fahima says, was a really special moment in her life because it was hard for a girl in her culture to travel alone.
“I remember how hard it was for a girl to travel alone in our culture! I was offered a great opportunity to participate in the Spartan race in the USA for the first time. I thought about it briefly and hesitated but I took a leap of faith and joined.”
Before participating in the competition, Fahima joined a boot camp in Spain in preparation for the race. Back then, she booked a ticket without asking anyone. “This was the first time in my life that I took such a step. I informed my family that in order for me to be in shape for the race, I must train very hard at a proper boot camp as I only had two weeks left to the race”, said Fahima.
Fahima’s trip to Spain has been a major turning point in her life. It gave her great self-confidence, and her parents began to trust her.
“Representing my beloved country – UAE, makes me very proud and as the boot camp ended and I headed back to UAE. I remember crying on the plane on my way back. What a sense of achievement and self-fulfillment I felt at that point, I was actually making history.” Fahima said as she beamed in joy.
Future Aspirations, Dreams And Goals
When asked about her goal, Fahima said she would like to reach the Olympics someday. However, the age cut off to compete is 40- which gives her another five years. Knowing she can only fight for another five years, Fahima wants to inspire more women to find the same joy, strength and freedom that she discovered in the sport. “I don’t have enough time to fight, but I will continue inspiring women and help ladies who don’t want to be trained by men”.
Advice To Young Women
Fahima’s only piece of advice to other young women is to take the first step, have a clear vision and walk towards it.