Born in an ordinary family in Jumla Patarasi-2 Peregaun, Sunmaya and Rammaya Budha are budding runners. Both are becoming known as international ultra trail runners. Now their competition in running is spreading all over the world.

They are not only known in Karnali but also in the whole of Nepal and are succeeding in drawing a roadmap for the future through running. Born in a family where seven out of eight children are girls, their ages are three years apart. In a society that looks down on girls as soon as they are born, they are giving a message that girls can also make an international image if they work hard.

In 2015, Sunmaya participated in the President's Running Shield. After coming second in the first place, her passion for running increased. In November 2016, she participated in the Manaslu Mountain Trail Race. She came second again. Since then, her international journey began. She participated in two races in Hong Kong in December 2016, 5 km and 51 km. She came second in both. Which kept encouraging her to run.

She participated in another race in Hong Kong in February 2017. She came second again. In 2018, she won the race in Zhoulizhong, China. She had been second in many events, and her enthusiasm increased after winning. Sunmaya set a record for women in ultra trail running in Thailand in December 2021 over a distance of 110 kilometers. She completed the race in 14 hours 54 minutes 1 second. It took Nepal's star ultra runner Mira Rai 17 hours 12 minutes 48 seconds to complete the distance.

Sunmaya feels that this record has given her more encouragement. She said, 'The experience of running on the hills of the village has brought a lot of changes in her life.' Sunmaya came second in the UTMB CCC held in France in 2022. She came first in the North Face Hong Kong 100 kilometer race held in Hong Kong in 2023. She won three ultra races in Hong Kong in 2023 alone. She came second in the women's 82-kilometer race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships held last October. So far, Sunmaya has participated in running competitions in Switzerland, Hong Kong, China, France, Italy, Oman, Malaysia, Australia and other countries. She has won medals in races such as Dharan, Breathless Running, SSIG, Tenzing Hillary, Jumla Rara Ultra, Golden World Trail in Nepal.

Meanwhile, Rammaya recently won the title in the 60-kilometer trail race held in Chengdu, China. She completed the distance in 6 hours, 6 minutes and 57 seconds. Her victory has also made the athletics players of Karnali enthusiastic. Born in the remote Peregaun of Jumla, she has won most of the national and international competitions. "I aim to perform well in the upcoming competitions as well," said Rammaya. "I am happy." I feel like I can make myself and my country known even through running.'

Rammaya, who has been prioritizing ultra races in recent times through national athletics competitions, cross-country races, and road races, is affiliated with the Police Club. Rammaya and Sunmaya are becoming a source of inspiration for the girls of Karnali. Due to their success, more than a dozen girls are now training with former record-holder runner Hari Bahadur Rokaya.

Rammaya set a record in the 50-kilometer ultra marathon held in Hong Kong last year. She said, 'When I ran in the village, I felt like I was just running, but after participating in national and international games, I finally understood the importance of running.' Rammaya started running seven years ago by winning the school-level President's Running Shield. She soon started participating in district-level and regional competitions. After her interest in athletics increased, runner Rokaya took both her sisters with him and trained them. Coach Rokaya says, ‘Jumla feels proud of the progress of Rammaya and Sunmaya. They are not only making their name known, but also the name of the district and the entire country.’

Coach Rokaya says that they have reached this stage of success due to their interest in running and hard work. Recalling that he has been coaching them for almost 10 years, Rokaya said, ‘It is a matter of pride for Jumla girls to compete on an international level. On top of that, achieving success is another great achievement.’ Earlier, even though there were talents in the district, they had to be confined to the local level. As soon as the sports field was mentioned, despair would spread among the youth. Coach Rokaya said, ‘Nowadays, the interest of the youth in sports has increased a lot.’ He said that Sunmaya and Rammaya’s success is not just about winning a race but also a symbol of the self-confidence and ability of Nepali women.

They studied in the village school. Their parents wanted to see their daughters become government employees. The family could not afford to send them outside the village after completing 10th grade. The mother used to pressure her daughters to get married. Sunmaya says that she rejected the marriage proposal and left Khalanga. She continued running along with her 11th grade studies. Since Sunmaya lived in Khalanga, it became easier for her sister Rammaya. Sunmaya started training with Rokaya. Now Sunmaya says, ‘I have reached this point with the inspiration of Hari Guru and the help of Karnali Sports Club.’

Coach Rokaya says that Sunmaya and Rammaya have progressed through their own hard work. ‘They have reached this point by working hard on their own,’ he says, who is training teenagers from Jumla, ‘I have been training Sunmaya and Rammaya since they were children. They are good athletes.’

They have the experience that they did not stop participating in competitions even when they did not have food, clothes, and shoes for running. ‘Sometimes I had to walk in big shoes, and sometimes I had to run without dieting,’ said Sunmaya, ‘but the pride of winning the game and hoisting the Nepalese flag abroad makes me forget all these pains.’

They are participating in international competitions with the support of Kailash Company. British citizen Richard Bolani also helped them practice at the Karnali Sports Club.

The days of struggling in Khalanga in Jumla are unforgettable for them. No matter how many villagers used to meet them in Khalanga, they did not think it was good to run. Sunmaya still remembers how her parents told her not to run many times when she told them, ‘No one will marry your daughter now, she has been living outside the house for too long.’ Now the road has reached their house. Earlier, it used to take a 4-hour walk to reach Khalanga. Now, her friends are sitting with their children. But they are reaching home carrying the awards they won in international competitions.