‘If my brother hadn’t died, my life would be so different’: Olympic boxer Ramla Ali’s incredible journey

From fleeing the Somali civil war to fighting at the Tokyo Olympics, Ali’s life has been remarkable – and now she is being played by Top Boy’s Jasmine Jobson in a new biopic. We hear from both on this ‘positive migrant story’

Boxer Ramla Ali sweeps into the green room of a West End cinema, tiny in a frothy dress with a huge skirt of cascading black feathers. It’s an absolute showstopper. She’s just introduced the premiere of a new film about her life. There are messages on her phone from Bear Grylls and Malala Yousafzai, who are in the audience watching.

But the person who matters most is her mum, who is seeing it for the fourth time. What does she think? “She loves it,” says Ali quietly. The film is In the Shadows, directed by Anthony Wonke and stars Top Boy actor Jasmine Jobson. It tells the story of Ali’s journey to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.

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