This feature is the second in a five-part series sharing the stories of refugee athletes Farida Abaroge, Seyd Taha Ghafari, Omar Hassan, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir as they seek selection to the Athlete Refugee Team (ART) at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
After taking on work that put his life in danger, Seyd Taha Ghafari was forced to flee Iran, leaving everything he knew behind.
Ghafari was unable to see his family for five long years. When he arrived in the UK with no certainties, he found strength and connection through running.
Running became his lifeline, helping him to navigate a new world, build a community and regain hope.
“I continued to run, because it gives you good feeling – mentally and physically,” explains the 30-year-old, who ran for the Athlete Refugee Team at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in 2023.
“I saw my family briefly. That was a very sad moment. You don’t only leave your family, you leave your friends and everything you’ve built, just like that.
“A big motivation for me when I arrived was that I saw so many people running in the parks and on the roads in the UK. I felt really good. I felt like I knew all of them. I started running again and it felt like home.
“As marathon runners, we have lots of long runs. Many things in your mind come and go. I’m always thinking about my past, and what a great opportunity I have.”
View the full video feature on World Athletics Watch.
Video features on Farida Abaroge, Emmanuel Kiruhura Ntagunga and Seyfu Jamaal Tahir will be published on World Athletics Watch during the next few weeks. The feature on Omar Hassan is already available.
Interview and video production by Christel Saneh for World Athletics