Humans of HOKA: Ahmed Muhumed

HOKA: Tell us a little bit more about the area where you grew up. How did that community shape who you are today?

Ahmed: I grew up where the kids roam free with no fear of anything. We were barefoot most of the time, playing with a ball made of socks filled with mattress foam (to give it a bounce). I grew up attending Islamic religious school before sunrise (6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.), then regular school from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. I went back to religious school from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Following that, I spent the majority of the evening playing soccer with the neighborhood kids.

I grew up in a small town called Kebribeyah. This town was divided into two sides, the locals’ zone and the refugee zone. I lived on the edge of the refugee camp. I grew up at an altitude of 1,600 meters (5,700 feet), which I believe ultimately benefited my running career.

While we did not have a whole lot, my parents always ensured there was food on the table and clothes on our backs. They both worked hard to give us the best shot at life, even though neither of them ever attended school.

Kebribeyah and the Somali Regional State are known for their deep-rooted Somali culture, such as the Dhaanto, which is a traditional Somali music and folk dance. In the community I grew up in, family, faith, community, and traditions played a tremendous role in shaping personal character. These values were passed down for generations. For instance, my grandmother, Maryam Odowaa, played a significant role in instilling many of these values in me by sharing the wisdom and knowledge she gained over the years. With all the challenges she faced – including the loss of her husband after twenty years of marriage and six of her twelve children – she still taught me the importance of family, showing up for those who rely on me, patience, perseverance, and adaptability to life’s challenges. Through Somali proverbs and spoken history, she taught me to treat others with kindness, to be empathetic and grateful, and to take pride in my heritage, no matter where this life takes me. All of the things my grandmother taught me, as well as what I have learned from my community growing up, have shaped me to be who I am today.

HOKA: What role did running play in your transition from Ethiopia to America?

Ahmed: I did not find running, it found me. I recall on a beautiful morning in eighth grade at Ron Russell Middle School in Portland, Oregon, my PE teacher, Ms. Macomber, called us to line up for the 20-meter pacer test. I did pretty well, even while wearing jorts and some bulky shoes my parents bought me from Goodwill. Eventually, my dreams of playing in the Premier League and becoming a professional soccer player went out the window, and running became my new passion. Running played a tremendous role in helping me fit in and assimilate into American society. Coming to the states in 2011 and starting school as a seventh grader with limited English, running allowed me to make friends and receive some level of respect from my peers after some decent performances. Running played a huge role in not only helping me survive, but also thrive in my new home. I received a full-ride scholarship to pursue my academic and athletic goals at Boise State University as an undergraduate, before continuing to Florida State University for my master’s in international affairs. Running played a major role in helping me graduate after five years of schooling with no debt.

HOKA: You balanced working full-time while pursuing a career in professional running. What was that like?

Ahmed: My time between Florida State University and signing a professional contract was quite transformative in allowing me to develop discipline, an unwavering belief in my dreams, and register the importance of consistency. Balancing two jobs while training at an elite level gave me a perspective on hard work, sacrifice, and mental toughness. I remember waking up at 5 a.m. to get my first run of the day, before starting my shift at the African Youth & Community Organization (AYCO), a non-profit that helps immigrant youth assimilate to the American education system.

While there were doubts, and times when I thought of walking away from competitive running, I refused to allow temporary hardships to define my long-term goals and visions. Eventually, running resembled life in a sense that nothing good and worthwhile is ever easy and when gratitude, hope, hard work, and possibility are the driving forces of my goals, success becomes inevitable. Thus, through this experience, I learned the meaning of perseverance and that success is determined by how much I am willing to endure to reach my goals. Now, I carry those lessons with me as a professional runner.

HOKA: How has your motivation evolved throughout your career?

Ahmed: My motivations have evolved throughout my career. In high school, my motivation was to secure a college scholarship. At the next stage, it was about proving to myself and the world how good I can be and making a US team. Despite the shifts in motivation over the years, two things remain consistent: my motivations are deeply personal, rooted in my upbringing, and driven by my love for competition. My motivation is deeply personal, depending on the stage of life I was in. I show up every single day the best way I knew how. I work hard, never make any excuses as to why or how I was not able to succeed but rather keep on showing up. In the end, it’s that determination and discipline, fueled by my motivations, that’s allowed me to see what my body is capable of achieving.

At this stage of my career, my biggest motivation is to have an impact on others and the communities I belong to. Because of the position I am in, I want to give back to different communities. My way of giving back is to expose the sport of running to the youth in these communities so their lives can be positively changed, the way running has changed mine. While I chase my own goals and aspirations, I want to motivate others to believe in themselves and work hard to reach heights they never thought possible.

HOKA: Tell us more about hosting a race in your hometown.

Ahmed: The idea to host a race in my hometown started in 2023 while I was in Ethiopia for an altitude training stint. During my eight weeks there, I realized the need for a race between Somali youth. Meeting 70+ Somali runners from all around the different Somali regions, including Olympic silver medalists Abdi Nageeye and Bashir Abdi, inspired me to host a Somali youth race. Many of them left everything behind to come to the Ethiopian highlands to pursue running dreams and train year-round, but they only got to race maybe once a year if they were lucky. I reached out to my new sponsor, HOKA, the Abdi Nageeye Foundation, and a couple of other connections to help put on this event. HOKA was able to provide us with thousands of in-kind donations, 100+ pairs of running shoes for the youth, and a production team to help us showcase the many hidden running talents in the Horn of Africa.

The success of this event was determined by the opportunity for many talented Somali youth to race. With the support of my running community, family, and friends, we were able to give back in the best way we know how-by providing a chance for these runners to showcase their talents and hard work.

HOKA: What unique challenges do the athletes in Somalia face?

Ahmed: Many of the athletes in Somalia and the different Somali regions lack the opportunities we see in the U.S, which is something I reflect on often. If I did not find my running talent in the U.S, I would just be another child whose route to success was hindered by the realities of life. Poverty is very prevalent in Somali regions, creating many obstacles for the youth to receive the needed support to succeed in the sport. Many of the youth, like my father, play sports until they are of age, which is usually around fifteen years old. After that, they are viewed as adults in society and must contribute to family financial needs. So, anyone who chooses to pursue sports like running past a certain age is seen as someone who lacks ambition and just wants to live a “youthful” life.

Based on my experience in 2023, the Somali youth I trained with in Ethiopia lacked the financial opportunities to pursue running careers. Many of them were training in a pair of shoes that had at least 1,000 miles on them and many of them only had the means to buy food (mostly eating a maximum of twice each day) and pay for rent. So, a new pair of running shoes was out of the picture for many of them. These athletes lacked the proper coaching, facilities, and racing opportunities; all of which were available to me at the collegiate level-things that are so easy to take for granted. As a semiprofessional athlete seeking a professional contract, this experience gave me a different perspective. It was quite eye-opening life-altering to see these athletes show up every day only with hopes and dreams that one day it will all pay off.

HOKA: What advice would you give to someone chasing a big dream?

Ahmed: Keep showing up. There were many obstacles I had to overcome and probably many more I will need to overcome in the future; but if there is one thing I learned, it is to keep showing up. Being able to show up for your dreams and goals is a privilege that many people do not have-not because they do not want to show up, but because they cannot show up at all.

With that privilege comes gratitude. Recognizing that you have something that many people don’t have can provide perspective on life and your dreams. My grandmother, who was in her 80s around the time I was growing up, often talked about the idea of gratefulness. I would say chase your dreams with gratitude. Remember, you don’t have to, you get to chase your dreams.

Lastly, live in the moment and enjoy the process. I was always good at running and it came naturally to me, but then I lined up against some tough, talented athletes who were working as hard as me, if not harder. The many losses I took against these athletes required many assessments and changes in my training and work. But that was short-term thinking because the athletes I was competing against, many of whom were logging more miles than me or had been in the sports longer than me, had their own journey to follow and ways of doing things. Thus, I realized the importance of embracing my journey and most importantly, enjoying it.

Remember the goals you chase will only be worth it when you believe in yourself every step of the way, recognize the privileges that come with going after a goal, and embrace the journey that led you there.

HOKA: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Ahmed: We hope to make the Somali Youth Running Event an annual event and we are hoping to find more partners and supporters to help us with this impactful event. So, if you or anyone you know might be interested in getting involved, please reach out to us: Shaahathletics@gmail.com. I would like to thank HOKA for not only giving me a sponsorship but supporting me in giving back to my community. Thank you for reading and FLY HUMAN FLY!