 Reza spent her early life in Chittagong, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), relocating in 1971 to Karachi, where she attended St. Joseph’s Convent School and completed her A-Levels.As a teenager, Reza was a keen athlete, receiving a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.She was awarded a First at the Pakistan Taekwondo Federation's 2nd All Pakistan Tae Kwon Do – Karate Championships in November 1976.