Ramla Ali

As an amateur, Ali won the 2015 Novice national championships in England, the 2016 England Boxing Elite National Championships, the 2016 Great British Championships, and the 2019 African Zone featherweight title.[4]

Ali initially represented England but in 2018 changed to represent Somalia. She has not been back to Somalia since leaving as a child but wanted to help put the country in headlines for positive reasons. She was the first person to have won an African boxing title and international gold medals whilst representing Somalia.[5] In 2021, she competed in the women's featherweight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Although she lost her first fight, she became the first boxer ever to represent Somalia on the Olympic stage.[6]

Ali helped set up Somalia's boxing federation in Mogadishu and became the first boxer in history to have represented Somalia in the Women's World Championships, which was held in New Delhi, India.

In January 2018, Ali launched The Sisters Club, a charitable initiative created to provide spaces for Muslim women and minorities to learn and enjoy boxing in the U.K. Subsequently, the initiative expanded to also welcome women who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence to learn self-defence. The charity partnered with brands Nike, Sports Direct & Everlast to expand it's program in 2021 and enabling to reach more women across the country[4]

Ali committed to giving 25 percent of her first year's earnings as a professional to Black Lives Matter charities.[4]

Represented by IMG Models, Ramla has appeared on the front cover of British Vogue, Grazia,Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Guardian Observer, Wonderland, ELLE, The Square Mile, The Week, Beauty Papers, ES Magazine, Swiss Style, M Milenio Magazine, Exit Magazine and Puss Puss Magazine and been photographed for publications Time Magazine, Spanish Vogue, NY T Magazine, Sunday Times Style, Twin, Times Luxx, Gentlewoman & Conde Nast, . She is a global brand ambassador with Dior, Pantene, Cartier & Nike.

Ramla's debut novel 'Not Without A Fight' is a self help book based on ten of the most important fights in her life. It was published by Merky Books & Penguin Random House. It has also been announced that Academy Award nominated, BAFTA winning producer Lee Magiday will be making a feature-length drama in collaboration with Film4 based on the life story of Ramla Ali.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Ali moved to England from Somalia as a refugee from the Somali Civil War. When Ali was a toddler, her brother was killed at the age of 12 by a mortar when playing outside, prompting the family to leave for the UK via Kenya. She started boxing as a teenager in an effort to lose weight.[14]