September 2019 www.womanthismonth.com 20 showcase IMTIAZ FOR HER HOSTS She Races To Horizons Hosts SARAH AL SAMMAK Owner and Founder of Cycling Bees What sport are you involved in? I am a competitive road cyclist and decided to move my career to cycling to become the only qualified female cycling coach in Bahrain. What made you take it up? I rode my first bike in 1999 in Canada and enjoyed the feeling of freedom so much, that, when I came back to Bahrain, I told my parents that I needed to get a bike! I participated in my first race on my 22nd birthday, and was on the winning podium that day. That kick of adrenaline was priceless and kept me asking for more. Have you participated in any international competitions? If yes, which ones? Yes, my first race was Spinneys 92 which is held every year in Dubai, and I have done it four times. I was the first Bahraini to take part in the GBI competition in 2014, where we rode 850km in seven days across four countries in Europe. I am the first Arab girl to conquer the Italian Alps on my bike and to complete the Maratona Des Dolomites in 2016. Finally, I qualified to do the World Championship in Italy in 2018. What challenges have you had to overcome and how has the sport shaped you as a person? I have learnt to stand up for my own interests and beliefs. Twelve years ago, I wouldn’t dare to speak Arabic and would hide the fact that I am actually Bahraini. There weren’t any girls on bikes and I had to learn stuff by myself. Clothing was another major issue for a covered girl but I had to be creative in finding my own solution. I have struggled to keep cycling while pregnant and just after pregnancy, starting to pick up my own pace after delivery and my lower back injury. But because of my delivery and injury, my friend, Dana Zubari, who had recently had a baby too, and I started riding and training together for Ironman and that’s how Cycling Bees started! Cycling Bees aims to take the struggle away from women and make it easier for them to start working out from scratch. Do you think all young girls must be encouraged to actively participate in sports? Why? Yes! Our lifestyle is all about food, but if you add one small thing to your daily life to make it a bit active, then this is great for health! Most of the girls who started cycling with us were never into workouts or going to the gym. But cycling got them addicted to activity and now they can’t stop cycling. Some of our Bees did their first Ironman challenge last year too! From not being able to ride to finishing Ironman, that’s some achievement. What are you doing to get other women interested in your line of sport? We make it so easy for girls and women to start cycling. If they don’t know how to ride, we give them our Bikeability course. If they don’t have a bike, we bring a rental bike for them, if they are still building their stamina and get tired during the ride, they can jump into the escort car to relax a bit and continue again. If they want to train indoors, they can train at the Cycling Bees home too! All the solutions are available, and all these solutions are from women to women.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==