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Gaza teenager runs for Palestine

Inas Nofal aims to win medals for Palestine at international competitions, but training in Gaza presents a challenge.

Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Inas Nofal runs every day, and sometimes even twice a day, she says. Her coach, Sami Nateel al-Balad, buys all of her shoes. 'It's rare to find appropriate running shoes here, so as soon as I come across a pair, I buy them for her. To be professional is expensive and you need sponsors, but that isn't possible here.' [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
By Lena Odgaard
Published On 6 May 20166 May 2016
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Maghazi, Gaza – Tying the shoelaces of her bright green trainers, Inas Nofal prepares for her daily morning run. As Gaza’s first and only competitive female runner, the 15-year-old makes heads turn when she races down the streets.

“Running is my life,” Nofal told Al Jazeera. “Before I go to sleep, I think about which routes I’ll run the next day.”

Nofal started running last year with the support of a local coach, Sami Nateel al-Balad. Nofal’s father, Mahmoud, tirelessly follows the two in his car, ready to intervene if his daughter faces harassment from authorities or the community. 

“Some people object to girls running and say bad things. It upsets me, but I try to hide it from Inas, because I don’t want it to discourage her from her dream,” Mahmoud said, noting he hopes she will help to change how society views girls and women.

Nofal hopes to win medals for Palestine at international competitions, but facilities for professional athletes are limited in Gaza. Three wars with Israel in less than a decade have caused major destruction in the small coastal enclave, leaving limited resources for sports and recreational activities.

Last month, Nofal suffered a further setback when she and dozens of other runners from Gaza were denied permits by Israel to travel to Bethlehem for the Palestine Marathon, which aims to shed light on Israeli-imposed restrictions on movement for Palestinians. 

Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal has a treadmill in her living room, which she uses twice a week. Owing to daily power cuts of 12 hours or more, she has to adapt her training to when electricity is on. 'Sometimes I wait until 10pm, and sometimes the power cuts while I'm running - it can be a nice break, though,' she says, laughing. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
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Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal's father, Mahmoud, is her greatest supporter. He proudly shows off medals she has won in local competitions. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal's coach, Balad, has run since he was 14 and participated in competitions around the world. Today he spends all of his time training young Palestinian athletes in Gaza, including Nader al-Masri, who won the Palestine Marathon in 2015. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal started running inside a secluded football field, but became bored from running laps and decided to explore the streets. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Two Bedouin women call out in encouragement as Nofal passes them. 'At first I was nervous to run in the streets, but most people are supportive,' she said. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal does sit-ups inside a small fisherman's shed by the beach, sheltered from the stares of curious passers-by. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
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Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal and Balad run along a beach in Gaza, with Israeli factories visible in the background. The Gaza Strip is only 365sq km, making it hard to find new running routes to explore. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal goes to school in the afternoon, which enables her to run in the morning. As the number of students in Gaza far exceeds the capacity of the schools, most schools run in shifts. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
Nofal shares a bedroom with her 20-year-old sister. She is the youngest of four girls, and though none of them are athletes, they all support her and often ride in the car with their father. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]
Gaza teen girl runs for freedom/ Please Do Not use
'I dream of running outside Gaza, where there are open spaces to run,' said Nofal, who has never left the Gaza Strip. [Lena Odgaard/Al Jazeera]


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