The first Afghan women’s cycling team will be participating internationally and ultimately going to the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
Living in Afghanistan under extreme cultural and religious conservatism, where only a few years ago women were commanded to stay indoors and avoid spending time in public, cycling is viewed as obscene.
“This is about inspiring the next generation of girls in Afghanistan to follow their dreams, fight for equality, and gain independent mobility,” said National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Shannon Galpin, who has worked extensively in Afghanistan on women’s rights.
In 2016, a feature-length documentary called “Afghan Cycles” will tell the story of the team and its women.