Many of us distance and endurance athletes take for granted the freedoms we have to pursue our sports - be it the freedom of time, capacity, physical ability, etc. For many of us distance and endurance athletes, especially women in the US, we don’t necessarily have to think about the freedom to simply participate. I was born in both a time and a country, for example, where it has generally always been accepted (and in fact, in many cases mandated) that women and girls have the right to participate in sport. That’s not to say things are perfect here in the U.S. There are many examples and data out there that continue to point to disparities in access to sport across gender, race, ethnicity, as well as disparities in funding for women’s sport programs.
But in many places around the globe, the freedom to participate in sport is not necessarily a given. This is particularly true in areas of conflict, where rights and freedoms are often severely restricted.
If you pay attention to even the smallest amount of global news, you’ll know our world is far from free of conflict. In fact, major conflicts continue to arise globally. Conflicts can have a devastating impact on societies, causing suffering on a widespread scale. Women and girls are often disproportionately affected, and the particular ways in which their rights are restricted are often overlooked.
There are many amazing organizations all across the globe working in communities experiencing conflict to address the humanitarian challenges, particularly facing women and girls. Far fewer organizations are focused on sports in areas of conflict, despite global recognition of the role sport can play in fostering peace and security, human rights, and development.
Free to Run is one of those few organizations globally working in areas of conflict to enhance access to sport. In particular, Free to Run’s mission is to drive change in community gender norms in conflict areas by supporting adolescent girls and young women to advance their leadership and wellness through running.
Free to Run is a non-profit organization that uses running to support girls and young women living in areas of conflict to build their physical, emotional and social wellbeing; developing them into community leaders so they can bring people together across cultural, ethnic and religious lines. Free to Run operates in some of the most challenging regions in the world, where decades of conflict and instability have resulted in extreme social isolation for women and girls as well as harassment, constrained mobility, and unequal access to education.
They accomplish their mission by providing deep, progressive leadership and wellbeing programs in conjunction with running experiences - typically to refugees, internally displaced people, and girls and women who identify as ethnic minorities. While they work closely with communities and individuals, they are also working towards a systematic shift in gender equality with a specific focus on the expansion of access to public space and leadership opportunities for girls and women.
Ultimately, their goal is to increase the opportunities for women and girls to engage in public life, using sport as a tool of empowerment and education.
Not to bury the lede too much, but it is my absolute honor to be a global ambassador for Free to Run this year. As I go about my training, engage with my sport community, and participate in endurance events, I will be simultaneously working to advance the mission of Free to Run, and raise awareness of their mission, ethos, and successes globally.
If you’d like, you can join my in my effort to support Free to Run. Your support will go towards continuing to advance Free to Run’s mission to drive change in community gender norms in conflict areas by supporting adolescent girls and young women to advance their leadership and wellness through running.