For The Love of Cycling

Rukhsar Habibzai dreamed of participating in the Olympics, and she hoped a bicycle could be her ticket. Born in the Ghazni province, the fifth-most populous of 34 in Afghanistan, Habibzai had limited personal freedoms. As a female athlete, sports, among other things, were considered taboo. That’s why she was over the moon when she heard on the radio in 2012 that there was a Women's National Cycling Team of Afghanistan.

Excited, Habibzai sought out the team to join. She willingly made the sacrifices, rising in the early hours of the morning and riding through the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, before rush-hour traffic clogged the roads. Even something as simple as the morning ride had its challenges. Because she was a woman,  she had to be accompanied by a male family member. Even then, she had to be very careful;  verbal and physical assaults were common in her area.

"Afghanistan is a country where people follow traditional norms more than laws," Habibzai told SportsEngine. "[I] have always wanted to play, ride, and participate in sports like men. They give freedom and a feeling of happiness that we, Afghani women, couldn’t find in any other activity." 

In addition to the societal challenges, other obstacles challenged Habibzai. This included things like getting proper cycling equipment and coaching to the more mundane issues like no formal biking lanes on Kabul’s streets. 

Meet the Olympian

Through all of this, Habibzai persevered. She eventually started her own cycling club, Cheetah Cycling. She also became the captain of the national cycling team. This is where she met Masomah Ali Zada. Habibzai and Zada cycled together until 2016. Societal pressure to take on a more ‘feminine’ role became too strong and Zada’s family left Afghanistan and claimed asylum in France. 

Habibzai has stayed in touch with Ali Zada, watching her continue her cycling journey. "She has grown into a more strong cyclist now," she said. 

While Habibzai wasn’t able to see her dream of participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games come true, she is living vicariously through Ali Zada, one of the 25 athletes on the Refugee Olympic Team.

Back in Afghanistan and needing help

Habibzai continues to push her sport in Afghanistan. She has worked tirelessly to expand the group. Initially, only a handful of women participated. However, now a group of around 30 regularly train together, all overseen by the Afghanistan Cycling Federation. 

In addition to recruiting, she is also instrumental in equipping the team. Helmets, bikes, and other equipment have always been in short supply. Habibzai was able to get into contact with the non-profit Outride for help. 

Outride manager, Liên Johnson heard Habibzai’s story and it resonated. Her own mother fled Vietnam in a helicopter as a war refugee, and she's inspired by the rights at stake in the inspiring battles of these women. 

Johnson, with the help of local mountain bike celebrity, Farid Noori, are mining their shared connections in hopes of raising funds for bicycles and other equipment donations. 

This is  a particularly daunting task as there isn’t a lot of support in Afghanistan for these women’s passion. Instead, they are looking for donations outside of the country for help. But importing large objects like bicycles is very expensive.

Outride is committed though. "Bikes have a very particular power, the power of two wheels. Bikes bring freedom, and joy, but also opportunity and independence. It's why so many developing countries rely on bikes to get around. It's why I landed at Outride, to help kids improve their lives through cycling," says Johnson, whose first job was delivering newspapers on a bike. 

Even with the support from Outride and other non-profits, there are still many challenges. Habibzai says the team is currently without a coach and they do not always have food to eat during practices. Still, she will not let these get in the way of her dreams–Habibzai pushes forward. 

Afghanistan Today

Afghanistan has some of the most antiquated laws anywhere in the world. For example, girls average just 5.6 years in school before they are married off. 

Things had been changing slowly though. Sadly, any seeds of progress for women have been undone in recent months. The withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces has allowed the Taliban to put pressure on the local governments and attempts to seize power seem to be a foregone conclusion. This has threatened the freedoms of all citizens, especially women pushing against traditional expectations.

 "Afghanistan has been a country where women had not been in public as sportswomen," she says. "We are a symbol of peace, a symbol of motivation, and a symbol of freedom for all young and old Afghan women. If we quit, then no woman will ever come out to ride a bike on the streets. For women, we want biking as a part of our norm. 

Though she won't be in Tokyo, Habibzai sees a bigger purpose for her athletic efforts. "For us, cycling has become a part of our life, and we cannot live without it," Habibzai adds. "It’s a passion which will never die, despite every obstacle we face."