The Girl Who Runs Through Lagos Before Sunrise
Ufak | Proof of Life - Episode 38
“Sometimes the proof is simply that you’re still moving, still learning, still trying to become better than who you were yesterday.”
This week’s Proof of Life belongs to Ufak, whose story reminded me that movement is not always about fitness. Sometimes it is healing. Sometimes it is discipline. Sometimes it is choosing to continue despite grief, pressure, uncertainty, or the chaos of Lagos traffic.
From running half marathons to losing her father, from learning patience through movement to finding joy in small routines, this conversation feels deeply honest in the way only real life can be.
Enjoy POL.
What does “Proof of Life” mean to you in this season of movement, discipline, and figuring out life one step at a time?
For me, “Proof of Life” is showing up consistently, even when life feels uncertain. It’s in the small routines. Going for a run. Taking walks, working and trying again. I don’t think life is always about having everything figured out. Sometimes the proof is simply that you’re still moving, still learning, still trying to become better than who you were yesterday.
What first drew you to running and long walks, and when did it become more than exercise for you?
I’ve actually always loved running since I was a child. But growing up, I gained a lot of weight and eventually reached a point where I couldn’t really run anymore. So in a way, getting back into running felt like reconnecting with a part of myself I had lost for years.
I revisited it properly in 2023 when I started going to the gym consistently. At the time, I was working out 6 days a week and running maybe once a week. Then in December 2023, I registered for my first race, and boy 😭, I struggled so much. That race humbled me badly. That was the moment I realized I needed to take running seriously again and become consistent.
So in 2024, I fully committed to running regularly and eventually got my groove back.
At first it started as wanting to stay fit and clear my head a bit, but over time it became very personal to me. Running gives me space to think without noise. Long walks became moments where I could process life, stress, ideas, and emotions I didn’t even fully understand sometimes.
Running feels like an escape. It’s one of the few things where nobody can do the work for you. It’s just you and yourself on the road. The air, the quiet, the birds, nature. It genuinely feels therapeutic sometimes.
And one thing I’ve noticed is that once I start my day with a run, every other challenge feels smaller because I’ve already conquered the hardest part, that internal battle between staying in bed for one more hour or getting up and going outside to run.Subscribe to Proof of Life here
What’s the farthest distance you’ve ever walked or run, and what was going through your mind during it? Also, tell us about your best and absolute worst experience while trying to stay active 😭
The farthest I’ve run was 21.54km during my half-marathon training phase. Over 3 months, I trained consistently and covered a total of 538.7km, so by the time I got to that distance, it became more mental than physical
During long runs, your mind really goes through stages. At first you feel confident, then tired, then you start questioning why you voluntarily chose suffering 😭 But eventually you settle into rhythm and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
My best experience is probably realizing how much stronger I became over time. Finishing runs I once thought were impossible for me gave me a different level of confidence, not just physically but mentally too.
With running, I genuinely can’t pick one worst experience because I’ve had a few. 😭
One time I had an accident while running. I skipped and literally glided across the road. I injured both knees, ankles, and elbows. Thank God I was wearing leggings because the impact was crazy, and it still tore through them
Another time, around 5 a.m., during a run, some dangerous-looking men started chasing me. I ran so fast out of panic that I ended up tripping and injuring myself
Then there was the day I was about 6 km away from home, and rain started falling like the heavens opened. No shelter anywhere. At that point, my only option is to keep running back home, soaked, tired, and questioning your life choices 😭
I’ll let you pick your favorite traumatic experience 🤣
What has running or walking taught you about life itself?
Patience, mostly. Results take time. Consistency matters more than motivation. Some days will feel easy, some days won’t, but you still have to keep moving. Running also taught me that progress is rarely dramatic. It’s usually small improvements repeated over time. Life works the same way.
How have you been navigating work, pressure, survival, and still preserving joy for yourself?
I won’t lie, it’s not always easy. Adulting in Nigeria can feel intense because everything requires effort. But I try to stay grounded in routine and purpose. I work a lot, but I also try to create moments for myself. Running helps. Music helps. Having good friends helps. Good conversations help. I’ve learned that joy doesn’t always come from big moments. Sometimes it’s just peace, rest, laughter, or having one good day after a stressful week.
What kind of environment or role do you think you would truly thrive in?
I thrive in environments where there’s structure, creativity, trust, and room to grow. I like working with people who are intentional and actually care about building meaningful things. I’m very process-minded, so I enjoy roles where I can solve problems, improve systems, and contribute ideas, not just execute blindly. Mentally and emotionally, I value healthy communication and environments where people respect each other.
What has moving to Lagos been like so far? 😭
Lagos is... Lagos. 😭 It’s fast, loud, stressful, exciting, and somehow motivating at the same time. The culture shock was definitely the pace. Everybody is moving with urgency; people seem to always be in a hurry here. Like, damn, slow down! Traffic can humble you very quickly too 😭
Funny moments? Realizing that “close by” in Lagos can still mean one hour away.
Frustrations? Transportation stress and how draining the city can get sometimes. And let’s not talk about the ridiculous rent prices for slices of houses.
But secretly, I enjoy the energy of the city. It pushes you to think bigger. There’s always something happening, always someone building something interesting.
What childhood memories or advice still shape you today?
It’s actually an advice my mum gave me that stayed with me deeply. Growing up, I never really experienced failure in a major way, so the first time it happened, it genuinely felt like the end of the world to me. I didn’t know how to process it. I thought everything was ruined.
Then my mum told me something simple that completely changed how I view life. She said I should see life as something with a beginning and an end. Whatever starts will eventually end, too.
That advice stayed with me till today. Whenever I’m going through something difficult, stressful, or overwhelming, I remind myself that it won’t last forever. No situation is permanent. The thing that feels brutal right now could become something you barely think about a year from now because life will move, seasons will change, and new challenges will come.
I’ve also paid that advice forward to other people. Whatever you’re facing right now that feels extremely serious, it has an ending too.
What’s one life experience that changed you deeply? And what advice would you give younger people?
One of the deepest things that changed me was losing my father. It broke me in a way I can’t really explain properly.
There’s something very final about death. One day, someone is part of your everyday life, and the next moment, they’re just gone. That’s it. And as a proper daddy’s girl, that reality hit differently for me.
It made me realize life is not guaranteed the way we assume it is. You don’t actually know how much time you have with people.
So my advice to younger people is simple. Don’t always assume there will be time later. Spend time with your loved ones now. Take pictures and videos with your parents. Visit them. Call them. Sit with them properly when you can.
Because at some point, that’s all you’ll have left. Pictures, videos, and memories. And when memories start to fade, those are what bring everything back.
One unpopular opinion and one random thought currently living rent-free in your head?
Unpopular opinion:
Not every hobby needs to become a side hustle. Sometimes you should just enjoy things without turning everything into productivity.Random thought:
I really believe hard work beats talent a lot of the time. And consistent hard work? The sky is honestly just your starting point. You have to be known for something. I think there’s power in doing something consistently for so long that people naturally associate your name with it. Small repeated actions eventually become identity without you even realizing it.
Maybe that is what growing up really is. Learning that life rarely pauses for us, but somehow, through grief, stress, traffic, rain, healing, and all the in-between moments, we keep finding reasons to move forward anyway.
Thank you for reading POL!
That's my friend ❤️🎉