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Afghanistan cyclist who disguised herself as a man to escape Taliban wins Asian Games silver
Fariba Hashimi, the Paris 2024 Olympian, became Afghanistan's first female medallist at the Asian Games since 2002.
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She once disguised herself as a man, dodged stones and bottles thrown at her, and eventually fled her country five years ago when the Taliban regained power and heavily restricted the freedoms of women in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Fariba Hashimi won silver in the women's individual road race at the Asian Games, a medal of profound personal significance for the 23-year-old.
Fariba, the Paris 2024 Olympian, became Afghanistan's first female medallist at the Asian Games since 2002. She had earlier finished seventh in the women's time trial on Sunday.
"I came to the Asian Games dreaming about standing on the podium and representing my country," she said. "I can't explain my feelings now."
In 2021, Fariba fled her homeland after the Taliban returned to power and settled in Italy. She hopes her silver-medal win can serve as an inspiration to Afghan women, even as UNESCO estimates that 2.4 million Afghan girls have been excluded from secondary education since the change of power.
"This silver medal can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women," said Fariba, who is an Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder. "I'm not alone. I know that behind me are millions of women, from many countries, who have the same dream. They are standing with me."
'I felt like a bird who could fly'
Hailing from the isolated northern province of Faryab, Fariba took up cycling at 15, following her sister Yulduz, also an international cyclist, into the sport. Neither had ever ridden a bike before. They borrowed one from a neighbour and spent hours learning to ride before entering their first race in 2017, disguising themselves with headscarves, masks and sunglasses.
Fariba finished first. Yulduz was second.
"I felt like a bird who could fly," Fariba told the BBC. "It felt amazing."
The two sisters secretly continued racing in disguise, at times even using false identities.
"No one ever thought that women would ride bicycles in Faryab," Fariba told Reuters. "We thought it would be small, but it caused quite a stir. I always dressed as a man to go to train."
However, as they drew media attention, training became an ordeal amid violence. They had to dodge stones and bottles, endure regular abuse and deal with constant surveillance.
"They were trying to make us go home by being aggressive and attacking us," said Fariba.
"I had a really bad time, but I'm not saying my people are bad. We've got such a wonderful country. But the mentality is different."
Recalling one of the most horrific incidents, Fariba said a rickshaw driver once rammed into Yulduz while she was riding her bike, breaking her wrist.
"Once before a race, my father asked me, 'Do you want to ride? I'm fine with it, but I'm afraid they might kill you'," recalled Fariba. "In Afghanistan, this kind of freedom does not exist."
Hashimi now lives and trains in Italy with the help of Italian former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto.
Looking back at her life in Afghanistan, Hashimi said the Taliban "took away our freedom".
"I'm really happy because this silver medal can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women," she said.
