Atefa Rahimi’s build for the Saskatchewan Marathon hasn’t been perfect; she’s been dealing with injuries that have kept her from training consistently. But the 23-year-old still feels blessed to be running — and to be able to line up at an event that celebrates mass participation in sport.
“Some people run for sport and getting healthy, being healthy, but for me, it is freedom,” Rahimi says.
Rahimi, who now lives in Alberta, grew up in Afghanistan where it is taboo for women to take part in sport. But the coed Marefat School in Kabul where she was enrolled was constantly pushing boundaries and started a track and field team for women in 2017.
When she first saw girls running on campus, Rahimi was so excited she started to cry. She asked her family for permission to join the team, but they refused.
“Living in Afghanistan, there are so many problems in your way as a woman,” Rahimi says. “When you want to do something like going to university, going to school — that’s a basic life — that would be a big problem in your household.”
On top of those struggles, Rahimi’s mother died of cancer in 2015 when Rahimi was 14, forcing her into a mother figure role for her four younger siblings. All around her, Rahimi saw young people turning to drugs to cope. She knew she needed to do something different.
So, in 2019, she approached her family again to ask about joining the track team. “I was just like: That’s it, I am not going to let my family stop me this time,” she says. “I went to my family, and I cried and cried and cried for days for them to let me go.”
Rahimi’s family eventually relented: Rahimi could join the team as long as she went with her younger sister. The pair would wake up at 2 a.m. so they could get to practice and run before classes began at 6 a.m.
“I was super excited and super motivated and I wasn’t even thinking about: I don’t have enough sleep, I don’t have enough food,” Rahimi says.
Rahimi ran her first marathon later that year and, on top of running, was also practicing kung fu. Sport became her outlet for coping with the death of her mother and the challenges of being a caregiver for her siblings. “It helped me have the confidence, the light in my heart during a really hard time,” she says.
Then, in 2021, the United States withdrew troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban returned to power, bringing with it strict restrictions on the rights of women and girls. “It was a huge dramatic moment, and there was a fear of being alive and especially me and my team. There were videos of us doing kung fu and everything out in public, social media, YouTube, so we were really scared,” Rahimi recalls. The weeks that followed the Taliban takeover are a blur, but Rahimi and her family were able to flee the country with support from the Canadian government’s special resettlement program and the nonprofit 30 Birds Foundation, which worked to rescue girls and their families affiliated with Marefat School who were deemed most at risk. Rahimi and her family eventually landed in Saskatoon.
“Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, girls have been banned from attending secondary school and, by December 2022, women were prohibited from university education,” Rahimi says.
Arriving in a new country and adapting to a new culture wasn’t easy. “When I moved, I couldn’t speak English. The only things I could say were: Hello, how are you? My name is this, thank you. So, I learned everything from scratch,” Rahimi says. Still, she made time for sport, joining the Saskatoon Track and Field Club and taking up karate. In 2023, she moved away from Saskatoon.
Over the years, Rahimi has remained in touch with the 30 Birds Foundation, which continues to offer programming and support for Afghan women and girls who fled their home country. This year, 30 Birds is organizing the Secret 3K, a global running event that celebrates the courage of young Afghan women whose training to participate in the Marathon of Afghanistan was captured in the documentary “The Secret Marathon.”
Jessica Lewinski, 30 Bird’s director of outreach and philanthropy, says 30 Birds has partnered with the Saskatchewan Marathon this year to continue the legacy of the Secret 3K. This involves hosting a 3k community fun run on May 11; a screening of “The Secret Marathon” at the Broadway Theatre on May 16; a presence at the start and finish area of the Sask. Marathon races; and free entry into the Sask. Marathon weekend for women and girls supported by 30 Birds.
“For so many of the young women in our community, sport is deeply important. It’s liberating, it’s empowering, it’s joyful — and it’s one of the things that has been taken away from girls still living in Afghanistan,” Lewinski says.
Today, thinking about how much she’s overcome since watching her female classmates run around her school back in 2017 gives Rahimi goosebumps. That encounter — and her drive to run in spite of all challenges — may well have saved her life.
“Looking back now, I’m like: Wow, if I never had that chance (to run), I wouldn’t be here today, here in Canada, living here with so many other blessings and opportunities,” Rahimi says. “When I got this opportunity to start running, it made my life much, much easier, because I started to see hope, I started to see light, I started to see: Oh, I can be something.”
You can cheer for Rahimi and the other Sask. Marathon participants on May 25. The marathon gets underway from Diefenbaker Park at 7 a.m.
To learn more about how you can help 30 Birds rebuild pathways for Afghan girls to learn, lead and live freely, visit www.30birdsfoundation.org. You can also learn more about the organization at its events this month:
The Secret 3K Community Run
Sunday, May 11 | Victoria Park | 9-11 a.m.
A family-friendly run on Mother’s Day that welcomes walkers, joggers, and runners. This joyful event celebrates the right of all people to move freely — regardless of gender — and honors the brave Afghan women who sparked the movement.
$15 donation fee to register on-site.
The Secret Marathon Film Screening & Panel
Friday, May 16 | Broadway Theatre | 7–9 p.m.
A special screening of The Secret Marathon, followed by a panel discussion featuring local filmmaker Colin Scheyen and young Afghan women from 30 Birds.
Free, all ages, and open to the public.
Saskatchewan Marathon Weekend Presence
Saturday, May 24: Expo Booth
Sunday, May 25: Finish Line Village Booth
30 Birds will host information booths celebrating newcomer runners, offering community connections, and highlighting how running can be a force for freedom and belonging.
