Ramla Ali: From The Ring To The Red Carpet

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Ramla Ali is the Somali-born boxer, model, and advocate who has always been one to fuse power with poise. Both inside the ring and on the red carpet, she continues to serve memorable looks. Check out Ramla Ali’s most iconic looks from the ring to the red carpet inside.

Before delving into Ali’s style, it’s essential to highlight a significant new chapter in her life. More recently, the boxer made an emotional return to Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp to uplift and encourage displaced girls and families. Ramla told CNN, “This trip was personal. It reminded me that I was once in their situation. And if my story can show even one young girl that there’s hope, then it’s all worth it.”

Born in Mogadishu in 1989, Ali’s journey has been shaped by resilience. After her brother was tragically killed during the Somali civil war, her family fled, spending a brief stint in Kenya before resettling in London. It was there, as a teenager grappling with bullying in school, that she discovered boxing. According to ESPN, boxing became a sanctuary that not only built her strength but also gave her confidence. Over the years, she rose through the amateur ranks with major wins such as England’s national titles and the 2019 African Zone Featherweight Crown. In 2020, she made history by becoming the first Somali boxer to represent her country at the Olympics in Tokyo. Her influence goes far beyond sport. A UNICEF ambassador and founder of the Sisters Club (which offers free boxing and fitness classes to women who may lack access), Ali has always used her platform to motivate others.

In a poignant return this September, Ali traveled back to Kenya in her role with UNICEF, visiting Nairobi neighborhoods like Dandora and Eastleigh, and making her way to Dadaab, one of the world’s largest refugee camps. There, she met resilient refugee women and girls, reflecting on her own journey, saying, “Had I not left Kenya, this could have been me.”

At a recycling collective in Dandora, Ali pitched in sorting plastic and cardboard, connecting with refugee mothers and supporting a program that provides childcare and informal education. In Dadaab, she shared her story at FilmAid Kenya, encouraging a room of young refugee girls to dream despite the uncertain conditions. She warned that global aid cuts could jeopardize these lifelines. “It’s devastating,” she shared. “These programs are lifelines. They give children a reason to dream.”

For Ali, boxing has always been only part of her story. Her true fight is for representation, for access, and for hope. She once told ESPN, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Returning to the place that once sheltered her was symbolic and deeply personal. And in doing so, she’s reminding displaced communities that their dreams are valid, and that someone who once walked their path is now lifting as she rises.