A short documentary from Israel Premier Tech follows Afghan women refugees participating in the team’s Racing for Change initiative.
It can be easy to think you understand the power of sport — until you hear from one of the Afghan women interviewed in this short film.
They grew up in an Afghanistan where a girl riding a bicycle was technically allowed, if controversial. That all changed when the Taliban took control of the country last year after the U.S. withdrawal.
The extremist group erased the social progress these women have known most of their lives. Through the help of humanitarian groups, they have found new homes in Italy, though it meant leaving their families behind.
Wait until the final minutes of this documentary, when these Afghan refugees ride a bike again for the first time in over a year. It’s worth it.
The women are now training to take part in a special women’s Afghanistan world championship. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) hosts it in Switzerland on Oct. 23, according to Israel Premier Tech.
“We want to show the world that Afghan women can be successful cyclists,” one of them explains in the video.
Runtime: 7 minutes
