The things that we ve seen about women fighting for the right for education, women running for parliament. they are doing something that no other woman has done before in afghanistan. so much like young girls get targeted for walking to school and something so benign, to get an education, these women definitely have pushing on that barrier and certainly could be targeted. that is definitely a risk. just like the young girls walking to school if they are willing to take that risk to make change in their country and to be part of that next generation, where women can ride bikes, women can go to school, women can fight for the rights in the parliament and in the government its least we can do is support them. what are you hearing from them? i think for a lot of them is confidence, like sports has a rule everywhere, certainly here, give the a lot of confidence building in these women.
Where women weren t allowed to ride bikes. that s pretty unusual, even saudi arabia recently lifted their ban on women riding bikes. so when the opportune ate rose that we found these women last fall that were really willing to take on this last taboo, we wanted to support. and beyond the obvious athletic benefits, what does this program give to the women that you are working with? well, these women are literally blazing trails, these are women that are taking on the challenges of women s rights and the perception of women head on. and so certainly beyond the sport around the athleticism of riding a bike, they are also challenging what it is to be a would. and they are doing that certainly through this sport. i mean what are some of the risks that they are taking in doing this? we famously seeing women face repercussions for fighting for things like education and other women s rights. what are some of your concerns with the women you are working with here? i say it s really on
Death threats, constant harassment. when the girls are riding, do men yell at them? yeah. so predictable that the whole team trains in secret, dodging trucks and countless road hazards on the edge of town, the girls always in head scarves, full sleeves and long pants, fighting the stub born taboo. in fact, in kabul s main bicycle mart, the very idea of women riding bikes to go to work to go to the market to get from here to there, meets with one response. old and young, the men here, and it s all men, except for the women passing through, say no. women should not ride a bicycle, we were told, they should be at home and cover their faces if they are out. still, salma says that while some humiliate us, others encourage us. the encouragement from colorado is crucial and growing. we have got shoes. we ve got helmets. we ve got a ton of cycling clothing. tools. we have got various parts.
Tires. and we ve got bikes. reporter: gal pin says the bike shops and individuals donating all that gear are not just supporting an athletic enterprise, they are making a new movement possible for all afghan women. the bike is a credible vehicle for social justice, the bike becomes a vehicle for change. reporter: the afghan racer ares, now with their first passports, are ready to show the world that one aspect of whatever afghanistan will turn into will not be rolled back. mike taibbi, nbc news, kabul. the woman who made that all possible, shannon gal pin, is heading to afghanistan next week to deliver bikes and gear to the afghan women s team through her non-profit, mountain to mountain and she joins me now from denver. shannon, thank you so much for being here. thank you for having me. so, what a remarkable story. what inspired you to take this on? well, i m mountain biker by heart. it s definitely a colorado thing, i think. and when i have been working in afghanistan,