Samar Khan was born and raised in a modest, conservative family in a small village in Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Life for women from her region usually consisted of getting married to a man of their parents’ choosing while in high school or shortly after graduating. As a child she longed to pursue martial arts, but it was hard to gain the support of her family, who leaned towards her pursuing an education and focusing on a career in academics.