When the Taliban seized power in 2021, Yulduz and Fariba Hashimi faced a choice; leave behind their family or leave behind their sporting dreams.
Yulduz Hashimi , Fariba Hashimi and fellow Afghan Zehra Rezayee on the podium after the Women's Road Championships of Afghanistan 2022
They press on. There are 17 winding bends, numbered at each turn. They are elite cyclists - some of the best from their country. But they're not used to riding around bends, and they're certainly not used to cycling in pouring, driving rain. They had to take part in the race secretly because they hadn't told their family. They covered themselves up, wearing big baggy clothing, large headscarves and sunglasses so people didn't recognise them. They even changed their names.
It changed everything, and immediately put their lives in danger. The hard-line Islamist group bans women from playing any sport. But that's not all.They've banned all girls from going to school, and most recently from attending university - entirely cutting off female access to education.Women don't have the freedom to dress how they want. The Taliban code of conduct says women must cover themselves entirely, but most women in big cities wear the headscarf.
The sisters knew they had to leave if they had any chance of continuing their careers. So, they contacted Alessandra Cappellotto. The Italian, who won a world road title in 1997, now uses cycling to help women around the world. Leaving Kabul airport was a chaotic, upsetting experience. They had to say goodbye to their families, not knowing when - or if - they'd see them again.
Alessandra also crucially set them up with brand-new bikes, a professional coach, and a training schedule. It was also an issue of safety. They weren't used to cycling on roads with cars. They had to take a cycling proficiency course - usually taken by children. "I did not expect this in my wildest dreams. I will race for all Afghan women!" she told media after.
The sisters have big dreams. They want to become the first cyclists ever - male or female - to represent Afghanistan at the Olympics. "I want to raise the flag of Afghanistan," Yulduz says. "I want my father and mother to see me and feel proud. That would be the biggest dream ever."
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