Building a Ladies Community

Girls can be catty, bitchy, spiteful, competitive, and judgmental….. but when you build a community within a healthy environment, something pretty magical happens. Instead of the nasty traits that might have been present in school, there is support, encouragement, laughter, familiarity, and fellowship. 

Launching InnerFight’s Ladies Running Club was nerve racking. I had wondered “what if no one sign-ups, or what if no one turns up”, to be honest, I don’t know which of those two would be worse. However, these fears soon subsided as my inbox filled with requests from women throughout Dubai enquiring about the club. 

I started to notice a trend in the enquiries I was receiving. Ladies were asking if they were “good enough” to attend, and it dawned on me that there are so many women who love being active, fit, and healthy, but potentially lacked confidence in their ability. As our ladies running club is open to all abilities, I was sure that all attendees would be fine under my guidance and encouragement. 

Something I hadn’t factored in was the amazing support that each and every member has shown to their fellow runners. From welcoming new members, to cheering support in training, to encouraging race participation, to post run coffees (and acai bowls), to building friendships and weekend running partners. 

As humans we crave a sense of belonging, and considering Dubai is made up of approximately 80% expats, it means that many of us are living here away from our family and friendship groups. Setting up a new life in a new country is no easy task, firstly there is the admin side of things, and then there is the lifestyle side of things. 

Personally, I am grateful to be part of the InnerFight community, and I am incredibly humbled to help build a little bubble within this community, Ladies Running Club.  This could not have been possible without the amazing members that make up this club; they inspire me, make me laugh, and totally fulfil my Monday’s and Wednesday’s.