Afghanistan’s First Female Triathlete Escapes from the Taliban
The 7th February 2020 saw the first Afghan woman to finish an Ironman race. Sixteen months later she was in a race for her life fleeing the Taliban takeover in her home country. Now she is safe in the USA after her terrifying escape from the clutches of the Taliban, in part through the assistance of her training group She Can Tri.
On news of the Taliban takeover, Jackie Faye, Founder of She Can Tri immediately reached out to the Afghan women named Zeinab who she met in 2018 in Kabul whilst out there on a training camp. Zeinab would later join She Can Tri, to train on a team of her country’s first triathletes.
Despite having little money, with the support of She Can Tri and their hundreds of supporters around the globe, Zeinab would go onto make history in February 2020 crossing the finish line at the IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai carrying the Afghan flag.
Jackie Faye made contact with Zeinab to leave the country immediately. But all commercial flights were cancelled in Afghanistan and no taxis were willing to even take her to the airport. Jackie Faye of She Can Tri used her contacts to set things in motion to get Zeinab through the cordon of Taliban outside Kabul airport.
Thanks, are being given to an Afghan driver who risked his own life to get Zeinab to the airport, an Italian Special Forces Officer who escorted Zeinab through the American Military line to the plane, and for a mystery Turkish diplomat who allowed her onto a chartered Turkish diplomat plane having been initially denied.
Once on the plane, they tried three times to take off, but could not because so many people where on the runway. U.S. Marines were firing gunshots in the air to clear the people.
The flight eventually took off to land in Istanbul and after some interconnecting flights Zeinab finally arrived in Denver International Airport to a warm welcome free the clutches of the Taliban.
It was a relief to all that Zeinab was able to flee Afghanistan. As Jackie Faye, She Can Tri founder says “it is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman, and one of the worst places in the world to train safely for sports,” Nonetheless, Jackie Faye’s initial vision and subsequent challenges were also a chance to empower those who are the greatest in need and hold the most potential for positive change.
Zeinab will now begin a one-year stint as a Fullbright scholar a prestigious global-exchange program that enables graduate students and young professionals to conduct research and to study in other countries.
