Read previewAfghan Olympic cyclist Fariba Hashimi was 15 when she entered her first cycling race. Both Hashimi and her sister Yulduz just fulfilled a dream that seemed impossible — representing their country at the Paris 2024 Olympics, in defiance of Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. The Afghan government collapsed in the power vacuum the US withdrawal left behind, leading the Taliban to retake power for the first time since 2001. AdvertisementThe pair led the field in a 35-mile road cycling competition for Afghan women exiles in Switzerland in 2022. AdvertisementNow, Hashimi wants to continue cycling to send a message to the world about the strength of Afghan women — and to inspire all the sportswomen she left behind.

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Persons: —, Fariba Hashimi, Yulduz, Hashimi, Joe Biden, Alessandra Cappellotto Organizations: Service, Business, Olympics Locations: Kabul, Italian, Switzerland, Afghanistan