For Fariba Hashimi, getting on a bicycle was never simply about sport.
As a teenager in Afghanistan's northern Faryab province, she had to hide her identity to train. She and her sister Yulduz borrowed a neighbour's bicycle, entered their first race in 2017 and even disguised themselves with headscarves, masks and sunglasses. Fariba won that first race.
Nine years later, the 23-year-old is an Olympian and a professional cyclist based in Italy. On 22 September 2026, she added another major achievement to that journey by winning silver in the women's road race at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The medal also made her Afghanistan's first female Asian Games medallist since 2002.
So, who is Fariba Hashimi, and how did she get here?
Who Is Fariba Hashimi?
Born on 22 April 2003, Hashimi comes from Faryab, a province in northern Afghanistan. She entered cycling at 15, following her older sister Yulduz into a sport neither had previously tried.
Their first opportunity came almost by chance.
The sisters saw an advertisement for a cycling race in their area in 2017. They borrowed bicycles from a neighbour and spent a few hours learning how to ride before entering.
Fariba finished first. Yulduz came second.
For Hashimi, the experience opened up a completely new world. She later recalled feeling like a bird that could fly.
But continuing was not easy.
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Why Did She Train In Disguise?
As the sisters continued cycling, they attracted attention in a place where women riding bicycles was unusual.
Hashimi has said she regularly dressed as a man while training. The sisters also raced under false identities at times. Their training sessions became increasingly difficult as they faced abuse, surveillance and attacks involving stones and bottles.
In one incident recalled by Hashimi, a rickshaw driver hit Yulduz while she was cycling, leaving her with a broken wrist.
Even Hashimi's father worried about her safety before races. She recalled him telling her that he supported her riding but feared she could be killed.
The situation changed dramatically in 2021, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Hashimi eventually left the country and relocated to Italy.
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From A Refugee Athlete To A Professional Cyclist
Leaving Afghanistan did not end Hashimi's cycling career. It gave her access to a safer environment in which she could train and compete.
Italian former world champion Alessandra Cappellotto helped Hashimi leave Afghanistan and later supported her move into European cycling.
In 2022, Hashimi won the Afghanistan Women's Road Championship, which was organised in Switzerland because athletes could not safely hold the event in Afghanistan.
Around 50 Afghan refugee cyclists took part. Hashimi won the 57km race, finishing ahead of her sister Yulduz.
That performance helped open the next door in her career.
Hashimi joined Valcar-Travel & Service in 2022, moved to Israel-Premier Tech-Roland Development in 2023 and spent 2024 with the UCI World Cycling Centre team. In 2025, she joined the Ceratizit Pro Cycling Team. The UCI lists her with Vini Fantini-Bepink for the 2026 season.
The UCI World Cycling Centre also played an important role in her development. Its programme gives young riders access to high-level training and racing experience before they move into professional teams. Hashimi and Yulduz received support through Olympic Solidarity funding to join the centre in Aigle, Switzerland.
Then Came The Paris Olympics
Hashimi's progress took her to the biggest sporting stage.
She represented Afghanistan at the Paris 2024 Olympics alongside her sister Yulduz. Fariba finished 75th in the women's road race. She was also part of Afghanistan's cycling contingent at the Games.
She later continued competing internationally, including at the 2025 Giro d'Italia Women while wearing the Afghanistan national champion's jersey. In 2025, Hashimi won both the road race and individual time trial at the Afghanistan Women's Road Championships, which were again held in France.
Asian Games 2026: The Silver Medal
Hashimi arrived at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with Olympic experience behind her.
On 20 September, she finished seventh in the women's individual time trial. Two days later, she went one better in the road race, finishing second at the Shinshiro Cycling Road Course.
China's Guo Li won gold, while Hong Kong's Leung Wing Yee took bronze.
The silver was Afghanistan's first medal at the 20th Asian Games and made Hashimi the country's first female Asian Games medallist since the 2002 Busan Games.
For Hashimi, the result was bigger than a podium finish.
She said she hoped the achievement would allow the next generation of Afghan women to represent their country without fear. She also described the medal as a symbol of resilience for Afghan women.
What Her Journey Means For Young Women
Hashimi's story is not simply about winning a cycling medal.
It shows how a career can evolve when talent gets access to training, competition and support. Her journey moved from borrowed bicycles in Faryab to the UCI World Cycling Centre, professional European teams, the Paris Olympics and finally an Asian Games podium.
For young women watching from outside Afghanistan, her career also offers a clear example of how sporting ambition can survive difficult circumstances when opportunities and support systems eventually become available.
Hashimi has already said she does not want to stop here. After her Asian Games silver, she spoke about continuing towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
From a teenager who had to hide on a bicycle to an Olympic cyclist standing on an Asian Games podium, Fariba Hashimi's career is still moving forward.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
Who is Fariba Hashimi?
Fariba Hashimi is a 23-year-old Afghan professional cyclist from Faryab, now based in Italy.
When did she start cycling?
She began cycling at 15 and entered her first race in 2017, which she won.
Why did she disguise herself as a man?
Hashimi said she trained disguised as a man because women cycling in her area faced hostility and attacks.
When did she leave Afghanistan?
She left Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power.
What are her major achievements?
She won the 2022 Afghanistan Women's Road Championship, competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics and won Afghanistan's 2025 road race and individual time trial national titles.
What did Fariba Hashimi win at the Asian Games 2026?
She won silver in the women's road race on 22 September 2026. It was Afghanistan's first medal at the 2026 Asian Games and made her the country's first female Asian Games medallist since 2002.
What did she say about her Asian Games medal?
Hashimi said she hoped her achievement would inspire the next generation of Afghan women to represent their country without fear.
