ZABIBU NDUWIMANA

Professional footballer Zabibu Nduwimana, 23, was born in Burundi but came to Sweden as a sex-year-old. Together with her parents and five siblings, she grew up in Härnösand, near Sundsvall, before heading to Umeå to live her dream. 

But how did it all start? When she was 12 years old, Zabibu’s friend invited her to a football training session. She went along with no great expectations, but fell in love with the sport pretty much straight away. 

“I only saw it something fun, but then I got hooked,” Zabibu says of the time she discovered football. 

When asked if she’s had any role models that she’s looked up to over the course of her career, the answer is obvious: her family. They have supported her all the way, not least when she suffered a cruciate ligament injury three years ago. Other than that, however, it is her belief in herself that has taken her to where she is. 

“You have to believe in yourself, in my opinion. And don’t take things personally. If you get benched, for example, you can’t take offence, rather you have to continue to believe in yourself,” she says. 

Zabibu is a devout Muslim and has celebrated Ramadan for as long as she can remember. When she talks about it, it is clear that, for her, it is a wonderful holiday with a great focus on love, community and humanity. 

“The whole community element and sense of fellowship are very important and beautiful. One year that I remember particularly well was when I was at home with my family in Burundi and celebrated eid,” she said. 

Despite the fact that she has been training at elite level for a very long time, she has never seen fasting as a problem. On the contrary, she considers that she has performed better during the month. 

“I don’t know why it is, but you feel lighter and faster. I remember when we were doing interval training and I was able to handle just as much, and actually more, than many of those who had eaten. The first four days are always hard, because the body is not used to it at that time. But after that, it’s not a problem,” she says.

During Ramadan, Zabibu thinks more than usual about taking in fluids and eating nutritious food. She avoids junk food and drinks a lot of fluid replacements. When asked what she would like others to know about what it’s like to fast and train, she replies that she only wants people to be understanding when they encounter individuals who are fasting and training. 

” I don't really want anything from people during that period except acceptance and understanding. It’s Ramadan and I've always fasted and always will, so just have understanding for that”, she says.


Follow Zabibu on Instagram, @zabibunduwimana