Ever since she went to school in Bethnal Green, part of a large local Bangladeshi
community, Ruqsana Begum stood apart from her friends because she was so
keen on sport. At home, she wore the clothes her mother wanted her to wear and
behaved like a dutiful Muslim daughter, but at heart she wanted something
different. And when she went to college and saw an advert for a Muay Thai club,
she knew what that would be. But she also knew that her parents would never
allow her to fight – even if they could have afforded the costs. So she fought in
secret, and soon discovered that she was a natural. But when her parents
arranged her marriage, her new world collapsed and she found herself unable to
cope, until she broke free again, and worked her way to the top.
