I’m a trans-non-binary person who comes from a Muslim mixed-heritage background. I enjoy working with young people, and I play football. I’m currently injured but have been working on my rehab since February.
One of the main barriers that stops me from being active in spaces is the rife transphobia I often undergo both inside and outside of my community. Even within ‘inclusive’ spaces, I find there is a lot of hesitance to allow me to exist as I am.
My family have always been supportive of my sporty ventures and it took me a long time to find that acceptance in football and running spaces.
My injury was also initially a factor. I had to pull myself out of that never-ending spiralling abyss and get to work on bettering my health, so I am at my best shape when slotting back into football training.
One of my biggest motivations recently was my injury, but prior to that, I found myself looking for a space to belong.
One of the main barriers that stops me from being active in spaces is the rife transphobia I often undergo both inside and outside of my community.
Becoming active allowed me to navigate my identity in different spaces and connect and network with others like me to ensure I found the best atmosphere for myself.
Having an amazing coach at football also gave me a reason to keep on attending training sessions.
I also suffered from an eating disorder – as a result of PTSD – throughout my pubescent years, and being active allowed me to combat that in a healthy manner.
I was most excited about going out again and being in my own space and world when running or going to the gym. Being stuck at home, with an injury on top, gave me cabin fever and I found myself too often inside my own head.
To get that fresh air and a new space to express myself in was such an exciting idea to me.
