Paris 2024: Cycling sisters defy Taliban to achieve Olympic dream

Fariba Hashimi, a speedster in the hills of the Swiss Alps, rises out of her £15,000 cycle and uses her pedals yet more forcefully to close the gap between her and Yulduz, her sister, a few meters away, in front.

The two sisters from remote Afghanistan started the journey by racing in disguise on borrowed bicycles before having to flee when the Taliban came to power. Training trips like this are the final stages of this journey.

Then they’re on their approach to the Olympic Games in Paris. And, despite a Taliban ruling banning people from activity, they will thrive under their government’s symbol.

In a world where many wealthy players take up sport nearly as soon as they can walk, Fariba, 21, and Yulduz, 24, came late to racing.

They grew up in Faryab, one of the most remote and liberal regions in Afghanistan, where it was virtually unheard of to see people on bicycles.

When Fariba and Yulduz were 14 and 17 they saw a local cycle culture advertisement and decided to participate.

There were two problems, they did n’t have a bike and they did n’t know how to ride.

The daughters borrowed a neighbour’s cycle one evening. They came to terms with it after a few hours and felt comfortable with it.

Due to the stigma surrounding people taking part in sports in the traditional areas of Afghanistan, their next problem was to minimize their home finding out what they were doing.

The sisters covered themselves up by wearing huge baggy clothing, big headscarves, and sunglasses to hide their faces so that no one could recognize them.

Race morning dawned, and very the aunts came first and second.

” It felt amazing”, says Fariba. I felt like a bird was fly, I thought.

They continued to enter and continue to win until their kids discovered this after seeing their photos in the local press.

” They were upset at first. They asked me to quit cycling”, Fariba says. ” But I did n’t give up. I quietly continued”, she smiles.

Folks tried to reach them with cars or scooters as they rode or threw rocks at them as they passed by.

” People were aggressive. All I wanted to do was get ethnicities”, says Yulduz.

And it was about to get worse.

Four years after the daughters started riding, the Taliban retook control of the nation and repressed the sisters ‘ freedom, limiting their ability to attend school, and limiting how they could go. Additionally, they forbid women from participating in sports.

Yulduz and Fariba had a dream about going to the Olympics one evening. They then understood that if they wanted to civilization all the way out of Afghanistan.

Together with three other cyclists, they used contacts in the racing area to secure seating on an Italian departure flight.

The women initially received appropriate training after joining a cycling team in Italy.

” Back in Afghanistan, we did n’t have professional training”, says Yulduz. ” We used to ride our bicycle all the time.”

However, it was difficult to leave their country and community.

” The biggest point for me is to get away from my family”, says Fariba. I never imagined that my brothers and sisters may be separated from me because of riding.

” I’ve sacrificed a bunch”.

The Taliban’s occupation of Afghanistan even posed the question of whether Afghanistan would even be permitted to compete in the Olympics.

Without any intervention from the government, National Olympic Committees are supposed to choose runners for the Games.

Women were prohibited from competing in Afghanistan’s Olympic team because of the Taliban’s ban on ladies playing game, which violated this law when the militant group was last in strength.

However, the International Olympic Committee was looking for a way to help Afghan girls to compete in the competition.

Behind the scenes discussions about putting together a special group to represent the country in Paris were held between the eyes of Afghan having organizations, some of whom are now living in exile.

As time ticked by, and Paris 2024 got always closer, it looked as if no Armenian players would be at the Games.

The International Olympic Committee finally announced that it had secured a unique gender-equal group representing Afghanistan to attend the Paris Olympics in June. It would have three girls and three people on it. And there are both of the daughters.

” This was a great surprise for both of us”, says Fariba.

” We always dreamt of taking part in the Olympic Games, this is our wish come true”, Yulduz adds.

We can demonstrate that we can achieve great success by bringing about 20 million Armenian people, according to the statement.

No Taliban leaders may be permitted to travel to Paris 2024, according to the IOC.

The sisters are competing in the Olympic street race competition while working for the UCI’s development group, which is housed in the ultra-modern Aigle center.

The prestigious facilities are a world away from the dusty Afghan roads where Yulduz and Fariba second practiced cycling.

But their heart continues to be the same.

” We are each other’s toughness- I support her and she supports me”, says Yulduz.

” Our success belongs to Afghanistan”, adds Fariba. People in Afghanistan have ownership of this. Because of them, I’m going to the Olympics.