Women's Sport Week, Bamyan
"School, work, home. Waiting for my salary."
That's how a young Afghan woman described her life before running. We were crouched on the rocky ground outside a rural school. We talked about how we got into long distance running and the difference it had made in our lives.
Security concerns and poverty have made outdoor sports nearly nonexistent for female students in Afghanistan. In Taliban-controlled areas, women can still be punished for playing sports or leaving home without a male guardian.
But in that moment, we watched as a group of gleeful young women tried cycling for the first time.
The NGO Free to Run leads athletic programs for girls and women in several Afghan provinces. Hiking and running are possible in more liberal regions, but first, a cultural shift is needed. Adult women from Free to Run's programs are touring local schools to show younger women what's possible if they dare to get outdoors.