writing in Afghanistan is like nothing else in the world it’s it’s hot it’s
else in the world it’s it’s hot it’s
else in the world it’s it’s hot it’s dusty you’re in layers and layers of
dusty you’re in layers and layers of
dusty you’re in layers and layers of clothing and yet you’re surrounded by
clothing and yet you’re surrounded by
clothing and yet you’re surrounded by these epic mountains it’s incredibly
these epic mountains it’s incredibly
these epic mountains it’s incredibly beautiful but obviously also dangerous
beautiful but obviously also dangerous
beautiful but obviously also dangerous for the past seven years I’ve been
for the past seven years I’ve been
for the past seven years I’ve been working in Afghanistan on a variety of
working in Afghanistan on a variety of
working in Afghanistan on a variety of projects focused on women’s rights and
projects focused on women’s rights and
projects focused on women’s rights and access for girls but in 2009 I became
access for girls but in 2009 I became
access for girls but in 2009 I became the first woman to mountain bike in
the first woman to mountain bike in
the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan and at the time there were
Afghanistan and at the time there were
Afghanistan and at the time there were no women that I could find anywhere I
no women that I could find anywhere I
no women that I could find anywhere I asked in every village and every city
asked in every village and every city
asked in every village and every city that I rode bikes in if their daughters
that I rode bikes in if their daughters
that I rode bikes in if their daughters their wives their sisters could ride and
their wives their sisters could ride and
their wives their sisters could ride and the answer was always no it was just not
the answer was always no it was just not
the answer was always no it was just not proper they were okay with me riding a
proper they were okay with me riding a
proper they were okay with me riding a bike because I was a foreigner but that
bike because I was a foreigner but that
bike because I was a foreigner but that it was just not acceptable for their
it was just not acceptable for their
it was just not acceptable for their women since 2009 essentially for the
women since 2009 essentially for the
women since 2009 essentially for the past five years I’ve been trying to find
past five years I’ve been trying to find
past five years I’ve been trying to find girls and bikes and up until recently
girls and bikes and up until recently
girls and bikes and up until recently I’ve had no success my name is Shannon
I’ve had no success my name is Shannon
I’ve had no success my name is Shannon Galvin and I’m the founder of mountain
Galvin and I’m the founder of mountain
Galvin and I’m the founder of mountain to mountain mountain to mountain as a
to mountain mountain to mountain as a
to mountain mountain to mountain as a nonprofit that works with women and
nonprofit that works with women and
nonprofit that works with women and girls in conflict zones and right now
girls in conflict zones and right now
girls in conflict zones and right now the majority of our work is focused on
the majority of our work is focused on
the majority of our work is focused on women and girls on bikes in Afghanistan
women and girls on bikes in Afghanistan
women and girls on bikes in Afghanistan so in the fall of 2012
so in the fall of 2012
so in the fall of 2012 I found the men’s national cycling team
I found the men’s national cycling team
I found the men’s national cycling team and had a meeting with one of the
and had a meeting with one of the
and had a meeting with one of the members who told me there were girls who
members who told me there were girls who
members who told me there were girls who are riding bikes so I immediately went
are riding bikes so I immediately went
are riding bikes so I immediately went to meet with the coach and found out
to meet with the coach and found out
to meet with the coach and found out that there were young girls that were
that there were young girls that were
that there were young girls that were college age starting to ride bikes
college age starting to ride bikes
college age starting to ride bikes starting to learn how to pedal and that
starting to learn how to pedal and that
starting to learn how to pedal and that there was full support from their
there was full support from their
there was full support from their families and their community
families and their community
families and their community these were the first girls I’d ever
these were the first girls I’d ever
these were the first girls I’d ever heard of riding bikes in Afghanistan and
heard of riding bikes in Afghanistan and
heard of riding bikes in Afghanistan and after five years of riding my own bike
after five years of riding my own bike
after five years of riding my own bike there it was amazing to see this change
there it was amazing to see this change
there it was amazing to see this change happening in Afghanistan
writing bikes for girls is one of the
writing bikes for girls is one of the most deep-seated taboos that’s left in
most deep-seated taboos that’s left in
most deep-seated taboos that’s left in Afghanistan and it comes back to the
Afghanistan and it comes back to the
Afghanistan and it comes back to the idea that riding a bike is controversial
idea that riding a bike is controversial
idea that riding a bike is controversial straddling a bike seat is provocative
straddling a bike seat is provocative
straddling a bike seat is provocative and immoral and it’s really important to
and immoral and it’s really important to
and immoral and it’s really important to remember the risks of these girls put
remember the risks of these girls put
remember the risks of these girls put themselves in they have been
themselves in they have been
themselves in they have been slingshotted rocks or thrown at them
slingshotted rocks or thrown at them
slingshotted rocks or thrown at them they’re insulted the families are
they’re insulted the families are
they’re insulted the families are insulted while these girls are aware
insulted while these girls are aware
insulted while these girls are aware that they are pushing on this boundary
that they are pushing on this boundary
that they are pushing on this boundary they’re not doing it to be revolutionary
they’re not doing it to be revolutionary
they’re not doing it to be revolutionary they’re simply riding a bike because
they’re simply riding a bike because
they’re simply riding a bike because they feel they have the right to when
they feel they have the right to when
they feel they have the right to when Liv heard about the work that I was
Liv heard about the work that I was
Liv heard about the work that I was doing and heard about the team they left
doing and heard about the team they left
doing and heard about the team they left in so far Liv has supplied us with over
in so far Liv has supplied us with over
in so far Liv has supplied us with over fifty racing bikes equipment clothing
fifty racing bikes equipment clothing
fifty racing bikes equipment clothing and they are also pledging their support
and they are also pledging their support
and they are also pledging their support for the upcoming years most importantly
for the upcoming years most importantly
for the upcoming years most importantly they have really stood behind the
they have really stood behind the
they have really stood behind the mission they are looking at the fact
mission they are looking at the fact
mission they are looking at the fact that these girls are not just racers
that these girls are not just racers
that these girls are not just racers it’s not about competing it’s about how
it’s not about competing it’s about how
it’s not about competing it’s about how do you use the bike to create change and
do you use the bike to create change and
do you use the bike to create change and these girls in Afghanistan are proving
these girls in Afghanistan are proving
these girls in Afghanistan are proving with every pedal stroke that change is
with every pedal stroke that change is
with every pedal stroke that change is possible I got into this work primarily
possible I got into this work primarily
possible I got into this work primarily because I wanted to work with women and
because I wanted to work with women and
because I wanted to work with women and girls in countries where they had little
girls in countries where they had little
girls in countries where they had little or no voice and Afghanistan is a country
or no voice and Afghanistan is a country
or no voice and Afghanistan is a country that had been repeatedly ranked the
that had been repeatedly ranked the
that had been repeatedly ranked the worst place in the world to be a woman
worst place in the world to be a woman
worst place in the world to be a woman and so it’s where I decided to start
and so it’s where I decided to start
and so it’s where I decided to start being able to work with these girls in
being able to work with these girls in
being able to work with these girls in Afghanistan is so inspiring because they
Afghanistan is so inspiring because they
Afghanistan is so inspiring because they literally are risking their lives for
literally are risking their lives for
literally are risking their lives for the joy of riding a bike and now what’s
the joy of riding a bike and now what’s
the joy of riding a bike and now what’s happening very organically is that these
happening very organically is that these
happening very organically is that these girls are sparking a revolution and now
girls are sparking a revolution and now
girls are sparking a revolution and now we see more and more girls riding bikes
we see more and more girls riding bikes
we see more and more girls riding bikes in other areas of the country completely
in other areas of the country completely
in other areas of the country completely unaware that there even is a national
unaware that there even is a national
unaware that there even is a national team but that someone has ridden a bike
team but that someone has ridden a bike
team but that someone has ridden a bike and they’ve seen that girl riding and it
and they’ve seen that girl riding and it
and they’ve seen that girl riding and it just has kind of organically spread I
think that what is really important is
think that what is really important is that this is an afghan-led program these
that this is an afghan-led program these
that this is an afghan-led program these girls voluntarily decided to push on
girls voluntarily decided to push on
girls voluntarily decided to push on these boundaries under doing so daily
these boundaries under doing so daily
these boundaries under doing so daily with their family support with the
with their family support with the
with their family support with the coaches support and so my role as a
coaches support and so my role as a
coaches support and so my role as a foreign woman is not to take over the
foreign woman is not to take over the
foreign woman is not to take over the program but to simply empower them to
program but to simply empower them to
program but to simply empower them to bring them equipment bring them coaching
bring them equipment bring them coaching
bring them equipment bring them coaching training anything I can do to support
training anything I can do to support
training anything I can do to support and that’s where Liv has been
and that’s where Liv has been
and that’s where Liv has been instrumental as well in supporting their
instrumental as well in supporting their
instrumental as well in supporting their program and allowing it to grow
program and allowing it to grow
program and allowing it to grow organically
one of the girls that rides with the
one of the girls that rides with the team is Miriam she’s I think the best
team is Miriam she’s I think the best
team is Miriam she’s I think the best symbol of the team and that she’s
symbol of the team and that she’s
symbol of the team and that she’s incredibly strong but has this huge
incredibly strong but has this huge
incredibly strong but has this huge heart and she more than anything
heart and she more than anything
heart and she more than anything believes that this is her right and that
believes that this is her right and that
believes that this is her right and that nobody can take it away from her so when
nobody can take it away from her so when
nobody can take it away from her so when she gets on the bike she rides knowing
she gets on the bike she rides knowing
she gets on the bike she rides knowing that she’s pushing these boundaries
that she’s pushing these boundaries
that she’s pushing these boundaries because she loves the freedom that the
because she loves the freedom that the
because she loves the freedom that the bike gives her and she comes back to
bike gives her and she comes back to
bike gives her and she comes back to that over and over that the bike equals
my work with these girls is really
my work with these girls is really focused on how bike can be used as a
focused on how bike can be used as a
focused on how bike can be used as a vehicle for social justice
vehicle for social justice
vehicle for social justice not necessarily racing but through the
not necessarily racing but through the
not necessarily racing but through the sport of cycling these girls are going
sport of cycling these girls are going
sport of cycling these girls are going to normalize bikes for the rest of the
to normalize bikes for the rest of the
to normalize bikes for the rest of the country enabling young girls to go to
country enabling young girls to go to
country enabling young girls to go to school and bikes Midwife to use bikes to
school and bikes Midwife to use bikes to
school and bikes Midwife to use bikes to access rural communities bikes literally
access rural communities bikes literally
access rural communities bikes literally can change lives
can change lives
can change lives these girls inspire me to step outside
these girls inspire me to step outside
these girls inspire me to step outside my own boundaries to remember that
my own boundaries to remember that
my own boundaries to remember that pedaling a bike is a freedom and that
pedaling a bike is a freedom and that
pedaling a bike is a freedom and that that feeling of freedom that we all get
that feeling of freedom that we all get
that feeling of freedom that we all get when we ride bikes is at the core of
when we ride bikes is at the core of
when we ride bikes is at the core of creating Chains is at the core of
creating Chains is at the core of
creating Chains is at the core of women’s rights and so for me and the
women’s rights and so for me and the
women’s rights and so for me and the work that I do with these women
work that I do with these women
work that I do with these women it’s constantly comes back to freedom
”
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