Masomah Ali Zada has prepared for a moment on stage at the Campoamor Theatre, a moment earned through years of persistence and courage. She has already climbed into a private world of training, pushing forward almost every day since she was a child. This 26 year old Afghan cyclist, now a refugee in France with her family, has a sister who shares her passion for cycling. Recently she competed in Aigle, a Swiss town that hosts the headquarters of the International Cycling Union, where Afghanistan’s road racing hopes gather for the UCI Road Cycling Championship. Yet the competition she faced was not limited to the size of a racecourse; it was also defined by the harsh realities outside her homeland.
The political climate in Afghanistan made it impossible for the event she sought to contest to take place there. In that country, the Taliban has ruled that women who leave the public sphere should not practice sports, closing doors that many had hoped would remain open. This forced Masomah Ali Zada to pursue her ambitions away from home, where her dreams could be realized in safety and dignity.
Her childhood included a period of exile in Iran, a place where her father nurtured his love of cycling and passed that flame on to his daughter. When the family eventually returned to Kabul after the Taliban regime fell, Masomah studied sports at university, taught as a teacher, and began cycling with other women. But she often encountered discouraging attitudes and threats, changes in the environment that could turn dangerous at any moment. Still she pressed on, determined to keep pedaling and to serve as a positive example for other women. She wanted to demonstrate that a woman riding a bicycle on the streets could be a normal sight, a symbol of equality rather than a spectacle. In Kabul those words were spoken again and again as she spoke about her experience, yet the danger remained real. She faced insults, threats, and ridicule on the streets, and the most frightening incident came when a man drove into her with his car and boasted of his supposed victory, refusing to stop and help. That moment underscored the price that courage might demand.
Masomah’s story reached the ears of the French Embassy, which invited her and her sister to compete in a race in France. After that invitation, both sisters chose to stay in France, where they could continue their education and pursue their athletic goals.
At the University of Lille, Masomah is completing a civil engineering degree with a specialization in urban engineering. The bicycle, meanwhile, has become more than a sport; it has become a banner, a symbol of freedom for Afghan women. She has spoken at many forums about how sport can empower women and has carried the message into high-profile stages, including representing the refugees at the Tokyo Games as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. The same flag that she has carried abroad will be raised at Campoamor as she receives recognition that many consider the pinnacle of her achievements.
In addition to her athletic career, Masomah Ali Zada has become a beacon of resilience, reminding audiences that sport can be a force for human rights, education, and inclusion. Her path from Kabul to Lille, from exile to competition on the global stage, reflects a journey shaped by determination, community, and the belief that sport can redefine what is possible for women who dream of competing on equal terms with their peers. The upcoming honour at Campoamor signals not only personal achievement but also a broader narrative about Afghan women who pursue sport despite danger and discrimination. It is a moment that many hope will inspire change, spark conversations about access to sport for girls, and remind the world that perseverance can light a path through darkness.
The story of Masomah Ali Zada is one of many threads in a larger tapestry about sport, identity, and freedom. Her perseverance in the face of barriers demonstrates that the world of cycling can be a platform for courage, and her journey from exile to the international arena showcases how a simple act, like riding a bike, can become a powerful statement for equality and opportunity. The recognition she is about to receive at Campoamor will serve as a tribute to that message, a public acknowledgment of a life dedicated to pushing boundaries and breaking down barriers for Afghan women who choose to ride.