Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi has won silver at the Asian Games in Japan.
She turned a difficult journey from hiding her identity on Afghan roads into an international sporting achievement.
The 23-year-old finished second in the women’s road race near Nagoya on Tuesday, adding to her seventh-place finish in the individual time trial.
But Hashimi’s path to the podium was anything but ordinary.
Before fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she said she trained while disguised as a man because she feared being attacked.
“I always dressed as a man to go to training,” Hashimi previously told Reuters, recalling how she wore multiple masks so people would not recognise her.
Cycling Against The Odds
Why go to such lengths just to ride a bicycle? For Hashimi, giving up was never an option.
She began cycling at 15, following her sister Yulduz into the sport despite dangers in their home province of Faryab.
She now lives and trains in Italy with support from former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto.
“This silver medal can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women,” Hashimi said.
Her next target is already clear: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
And she hopes the journey sends a message beyond sport that women who once had to hide their dreams can one day pursue them openly.
