It all started in Canada, where Sarah lived for a short while as a teenager in 1999. “I fell in love with cycling, riding along the roads with my brother,” she says. “And the way cyclists are respected by motorists on the roads there is remarkable.”
On returning to Bahrain, Sarah began riding around Awali and gradually started exploring the Kingdom’s roads with her cycling group. “Back then, I faced hurdles like not easily finding the right attire. It was difficult to find clothing made of breathable material, that would cover me up at the same time. And a suitable headscarf was a whole other challenge,” she remembers.
Sarah reluctantly participated in her first cycling competition on her 22nd birthday, landing up on the podium that day. She has since ridden on four continents and won 15 medals.
On ‘the Bee’, her beloved yellow and black bike, sponsored by Skate Shack, Sarah has had many interesting experiences on the road – some good, others less so. “People would take photos, some because they were proud of me as a hijabi woman cycling around town, and others not so much,” she explains. But she took it all in her stride.
“I have been participating in the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge for a few years now, which is a 92km race around Dubai. Last year, I qualified for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championship in Varese, Italy, which will take place next August,” says the first and only Bahraini female to qualify for this highly competitive international race.
Sarah is not unfamiliar with Italy’s daunting terrain, having been the only Arab woman participating in the Maratona dles Dolomites last year. “Around 9,000 cyclists are selected from around the world for this event, which takes place over the Italian Alps. It was a very challenging route, and I’m happy I managed to complete it,” she says.
She admits to feeling nervous at the start of any race, but the exhilarating rush of adrenaline drives her to the finish. “When you see thousands of cyclists push off together, it’s the most amazing feeling,” she says.
Along her journey, Sarah realised that there was no encouragement in Bahrain for young girls to take up cycling. She explains: “Girls get intimidated looking at my road bike. I co-founded CyclingBees, a girls-only group for all levels of cyclists to enjoy fun rides together. We’ve grown from five to 25 girls across all ages.” And one of them well into her 50s!
The ladies get together on Saturday mornings to ride in various areas of the island. There is no membership fee, and someone who doesn’t own a bicycle can rent an easy-to-ride hybrid bike for a small charge. “An escort car moves along with us in case somebody wants a break. Water and first aid are also provided. Nobody needs to worry about flat tires or being left behind. For some girls, it’s their only physical activity and is greatly beneficial for them,” says Sarah. The CyclingBees privilege card gives the girls discounts at up to 25 outlets around Bahrain, including sports retailers, gyms, restaurants and cafés, and more.
Bikeability is another of Sarah’s initiatives to coach girls who want to learn to ride a bicycle, for which she has attained certification from British Cycling, the national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. She says: “I teach them how to balance, safety rules, riding techniques and being prepared for the road.” The course is two days long, and she trains around 15-20 girls every month.
Sarah is grateful for the support from her parents, in-laws and restaurateur husband, who accompanied her with their toddler daughter to Italy when she rode in the Maratona dles Dolomites.
Going forward, Sarah plans to open a home for CyclingBees. “It’s going to have a turbo cycling station, café and lots of events taking place,” she reveals.
