Team England weightlifter Noorin Gulam is determined to inspire the next generation of Muslim girls to discover the benefits of sport. The 30-year-old from Hayes, London, shared her own journey at Holte High School in Birmingham during National School Sports Week, an event recognising the benefits of regular exercise for young people.
Breaking down barriers
Gulam, who is a brand manager outside of sport, said: “It was super important for me to be involved in this event, promoting sport for Muslims, because I definitely think it’s an underrepresented group of women in sport.” She added: “As a Muslim woman, navigating sport was quite challenging when you push through those barriers from within your family and in your area. It’s not until you make it somewhere that you get their support.”
Gulam took time out from her final preparations for the Commonwealth Games, which start in Glasgow in less than three weeks. She spoke about how her school provided the facilities, equipment, and coaching that enabled her to succeed. “If it wasn’t for my school providing me with the facilities, equipment and coaching I wouldn’t be where I am. That work starts at the grassroots,” she said.
Family and cultural challenges
Gulam, who picked up weightlifting in GCSE PE lessons at Barnhill Community High in Hayes, highlighted the lack of family support she initially faced. “In the family network around me, sport isn’t considered important or something that should be pursued, especially so back then. If I didn’t have my school helping me, my family wouldn’t have either. Maybe they couldn’t provide financially, as one of four, but they also didn’t understand the benefits, so I’ve always pitted sport against studying, or against my career.”
Promoting sport to Muslim women
The weightlifter explained why sport should be promoted to Muslim women, an underrepresented group. “We live in a digital age, so being outside and being active is incredibly important and it’s needed to stay healthy and fit. That is the underlying reason why we are living in a time when you don’t have to move much. I also think as women, exercise is even more important. The role we have in society - bearing children and so on - if we are fit and healthy, we are able to look after ourselves and those around us. You also have the confidence to overcome things and for when you present yourself in the world. When you pair that with your faith, I think they come together.”
National School Sports Week campaign
Delivered in partnership with Sports Direct for the fourth year, this year Sports Direct’s Everlast brand also supported the campaign, with boxing superstar Conor Benn fronting it. The campaign, themed around This Summer of Sport, highlights global events including the men’s football World Cup, the Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup, Wimbledon, and the Commonwealth Games. Throughout the week, schools host events supported by free, inclusive resources, including a Commonwealth Games circuit, retro playground games, football-themed activities, and a Conor Benn Destroyer Circuit. Sports Direct donated 500 equipment packs to registered schools and, with Everlast, donated 65 sports bras worth almost £2,000 to Holte High School to support breast health.
Youth Sport Trust CEO echoes message
Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver MBE echoed Gulam’s words, stating: “Society needs PE and sport lessons more than ever. Mental wellbeing, while developing life and employability skills, is a real challenge for young people leaving school – building values of teamwork, resilience, communication, respect of others. If we can make sure that young people come to PE lessons, they are given a voice and the choice for freedom, fun and connection with the environment.”
The Youth Sport Trust is a UK leading children’s charity improving young people's wellbeing through sport and play. Founded in 1995, it works with around 20,000 schools and aims to create a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of play and sport.
