Exploring Faith & Sport with Khadijah Safari BEM, Gordon's School - June 2022
Exploring Faith & Sport with Khadijah Safari BEM, Gordon's School
24th June 2022
“Let them misjudge you, they aren’t your concern.”
According to Sport England’s research, people who state they have no religion are more likely to be physically active compared to those that belong to a faith group. Becoming a Muslim later in life has given Khadijah Safari BEM a unique insight into how Muslim women in particular are perceived in sport the UK and their family expectations around it too. With this in mind, Khadijah was the perfect Mintridge Foundation Ambassador to make her way to Gordon’s School on 24th June to lead a Faith & Sport Workshop as part of National School Sports Week; exploring incredibly important topics with the Year 12 students as well as coaching a spot of kickboxing too!
“I’m not a world champion, I develop world champion mindsets. ”
“I help breakdown barriers with a focus on women. ”
“You’re not born and labelled with a religion, religion is your choice. ”
Gordon School’s Culture Day Carousel meant that Khadijah led 6 sessions throughout her time in Surrey and could share, in detail, the reasons that she converted to Islam to be the best version of herself at the age of 27. Students were inquisitive and showed real interest in how Ramadan impacts training and performance as well as the perception of family and friends to Khadijah’s religious conversion. Khadijah openly shared her thoughts around prejudice and discrimination around cultural identity which meant for a fantastic response as everyone moved into the coaching element of their session.
“Do you train while you’re fasting?”
“What did your family think when you converted to Islam?”
Khadijah founded the UK’s first women’s only martial arts club in 2010 as no one offered what she needed and what she was looking for a Muslim woman; there was no one better placed to put the students through their paces and they responded incredibly well.
“There’s nothing you can’t do!”
Well done to everyone that we worked with, we absolutely loved being part of your day and we would like to thank Mrs Lewis and the Gordon’s staff for welcoming Team Mintridge to join you.
“We would just like to say a huge thank you. Khadijah and Jo were great, and the students really enjoyed the session.
Linking the faith and sport together worked really well. Hopefully we can do something similar again in the future. ”
If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with elite athletes and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact Katie Smith.
If you are considering supporting the Mintridge Foundation as a business, organisation or as an individual, head to our SUPPORT US page below.
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as Fitswarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
The Mintridge Foundation
Unit 4, Shieling Court
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Northants
NN18 9QD
Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106
www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk
