Lives Less Ordinary

Ramla Ali's family fled Somalia and settled in the UK; she then went from overweight bullied child to champion boxer and model who later brought the sport back to her homeland.Ramla Ali was a baby when her older brother was killed by a stray grenade in the garden of her family home in Mogadishu, Somalia, during the civil war. To keep the rest of their family safe, her parents fled the country via a perilous boat crossing to Kenya, where Ramla almost died. They eventually got to London and Ramla grew up being bullied and becoming overweight. To help build her confidence, her mum signed her up for a gym, which is where Ramla discovered a boxercise class by chance. Soon she was boxing at every available opportunity. Ramla knew her parents wouldn’t approve, so she kept it secret, even when she won national titles and was one of the best boxers in the UK. She would go on to bring boxing back to Somalia, where the sport had been banned since 1976, and compete at the Olympic Games as Somalia's first ever boxer. Ramla recently returned from her first trip back to Somalia since she left as a baby, and was met by thousands of fans at the airport. She even received personal thanks from the president for what she achieved for the country. Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Emily Naylor   Got a story to tell? Send an email to [email protected] or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Cassandra Madison and Julia Tinetti met working at the same bar in their 20s and were struck by how similar they looked. Their adoption records didn't match, but a surprise gift later revealed the extraordinary truth. From the moment they started chatting, Cassandra and Julia quickly realised they had lots in common: both had been adopted as babies, both grew up in Connecticut, and both had tattoos of the Dominican Republic flag. Their physical resemblance and connection was so strong that coworkers and customers joked they must be related, especially as they regularly mistook one for the other. Cassandra and Julia embraced the idea, even referring to themselves as sisters. They went so far as to compare adoption papers – but when the details didn’t match, the whole matter was put to bed. Years later, when Cassandra received a genetic test as a Christmas gift, she ended up finding her birth family. In the process, long-held secrets emerged and revelations which pointed back, unexpectedly, to Julia.Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Emily NaylorLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to [email protected] or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice