Faatima Zahra Gardee

Name: Faatima Zahra Gardee

How long have you been a FFG tutor? Since the beginning of this year (2025).

What do you do day to day?

I am currently on a gap year. As such, my day-to-day life differs but overall, I’m really enjoying spending my time getting involved in volunteering opportunities such as Fit for Girls and developing my skills in sport and mentoring. I also spend a lot of time at the gym and training for my sport, cricket.

What sport(s) do you participate in?

When I was younger, I played lots of sports including golf, tennis, martial arts, swimming and cricket. Nowadays, I just play cricket since it takes up a lot of my time and I exercise in the gym alongside that. I started gym-based training to improve my cricket, but I’ve really come to love it in its own right.

Do you have any female role models?

I know it’s a cliche answer, but a big role model for me is Simone Biles. Her openness in regards to her mental health struggles and how she overcame them was so inspiring - in Fit For Girls, we share barriers that we’ve faced to make them less isolating and to see an athlete of Simone Biles’ level doing the same thing was so empowering.

A female role model outwith of sport is Martina, a YouTuber artist who goes by the name Nerdforge. She creates amazing pieces of art - ranging from leather-bound books to customising coffee machines and computers. As an art lover myself, I really admire Martina’s passion for art and the way she never accepts that things are too hard for her to do or make.

Why did you want to join the programme? 

Both of my main sports - martial arts and cricket, are male dominated sports and I faced barriers as a result of this, especially since I was often the only girl in my given team or class before I started playing in female cricket leagues. I stayed involved with and passionate about sport due to the support I had from family, friends and coaches to get me past those barriers. I want to be a support for other girls who are facing barriers in sport. When I heard about Fit for Girls, it sounded like a program that I would have really benefitted from as a younger person and therefore seemed like an amazing way to fulfil a supportive role to inspire girls to stay involved with sport throughout school and beyond.

I was homeschooled throughout my entire school experience and going into the Young People’s Sport Panel two years ago, I was a quiet person and didn’t have much confidence with public speaking since I hadn’t done it before. Throughout my time on the panel and now going into Fit for Girls as a tutor, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in this regard and my experiences with gaining confidence in public speaking, sharing my story and my sporting passions is something that I hope to be able to share with the girls I tutor.

What is your advice for girls who want to get involved in sport?

Just do it! In my opinion, there’s no better time to start something than the present. Even if you don’t enjoy the first sport you try, you’ll be one step closer to finding a sport and community that you love. I’d also advise girls to take a friend with them to try out sports, or if they want to get involved in sport as a way to make friends then taster sessions are always good because you can meet peers at your own level and work your way up with them while at the same time getting experience and support from those who are running the activity.