In Kayamandi, where Zintle Ndamase, Khayakazi Madolo, Sikelela Tabata and Nosimpiwe Volibi live, girls don’t really ride bikes. The songo.info charity is helping them break the mould though, and here are their thoughts on what it means to be girls on mountain bikes.
FS: When did you start mountain biking?
Zintle: Well, I started mountain bike last year, on 3 December 2014. I was going to the Mall and I saw some girls going down the road [on bikes]. I stopped and smiled because I always wanted to ride bicycles and that was when I told myself that I am not letting my opportunity to go to waste, let me go for a try.
Khayakazi: I started biking around August last year (2014).
Sikelela: I started mountain bike in January 2015, this year. I have always wanted to ride and be part of a team. I knew a team in the community, songo.info but I never had the time to join, because I was busy with school and football. So, after I did my matric I joined the songo.info team
Nosimpiwe: The first week in December 2014. I was coming from school and I saw two young girls my age riding bikes. I could not believe what I saw with my eyes because I thought that mountain bikes were only for boys and too dangerous for girls. But they proved me wrong. I was inspired and motivated by them. They not only showed me that girls can do the sport, they showed the whole community.
FS: What does it mean to be a girl on the bike?
Zintle: It means a lot to me because in our community we became an example. For example some of the girls are getting pregnant. They are taking drugs, selling their body due to their home situations. So by cycling it helps us and them to see that finding your opportunity does not want you to go to the internet or travelling all over. All it wants is for you to look further and open your eyes to catch that opportunity before someone else does. This is what it means to be a girl on a bike – setting a good example to girls that have already given up their future.
I’m so honoured to express myself and share my experience on my bike!
Khayakazi: As a girl, it means a lot to be on a bike for the following reasons:
- I can enjoy riding my bike with many different people from all walks of life.
- I can compete on equal terms with other cyclists.
- I can meet, ride with and enjoy the company of the opposite sex without feeling threatened.
- I can show many of them that I am strong, even stronger than them on a bike. I can show them that I am no “push over”.
Sikelela: For me, being a girl on the bike shows equality and freedom. Many sports had the “only men” title and I’m glad that it has changed. It’s not about your race or gender, but commitment, hard work and belief. I believe that girls have the power to change things and make them better. No one said men can ride better than women.
Nosimpiwe: What I like about riding is that you can not only get physically fit and have a good healthy body, riding heals you mentally and emotionally too. There are many challenges I/we face as a female rider. If you grew up in my community then I am sure that there are enough negative messages in your environment to make you feel lousy. Some people might tell you that you cannot mountain bike and you are not strong enough because of your gender. Or your peers might tell you that there are other sports that suit girls. The more you hear these messages that put you down the more likely you believe them. What I tell myself is that you can overcome negative messages by changing how you think about yourself. Sometimes as a female rider you do not take the same risks as males because you are worried about your skin or your face but then that’s how mountain biking is. It’s all about taking a risk.
FS: What motivates you?
Zintle: I get motivated when I see professionals fail to make it to the finishing line because that shows that no one is perfect. It gives me courage to make it to the end and do what is good for me. However, we all know that not making it to the finishing line is not a good excuse, but it’s worth a try. I also get motivated when I see someone else trying too.
Khayakazi: I am motivated by the songo.info family, my family and friends as well as by the desire to have a new experience in my life.
Sikelela: Many challenges that we face as female riders are criticism and underestimation. The guys always think they can ride better or know a lot more. We are living in a new South Africa where most things are controlled and run by women.
Someone with goals and know what they want in life, someone who never settles for less and refuses to be average, that’s what motivates me.
Nosimpiwe: What motives me is to see mountain riders that come from a community where 70% of the youth are involved in drugs, gangsterism and robbery. Make a change in the community by inspiring and motivating them to become better people.
FS: What challenges do you face as a female rider?
Zintle: We face many challenges as female riders because it’s hard to do some of the things. We get a little afraid that our body might change, and it’s obvious that when you are a rider your body does change and it changes permanently. It’s not that nice when people call you names, or make comments like “riding bikes is not a good style”, or “how can a girl ride a bicycle”, or “behaving like a Tomboy”. It’s not nice when you get that kind of attitude from people in your community.
And sometimes it’s not easy as a female rider to ride long distances, because as a female we have many things on our body that may get hurt when we fall. That is why we sometimes tend to lose [in races] because we get a little afraid of getting hurt.
Thanks from Full Sus
Full Sus would like to extend our thanks to Zintle, Khayakazi, Nosimpiwe and Sikelela for sharing their experiences with us, and add a particular special thanks to Songo Fipaza and Kathy Crabbe for the great work they do in Kayamandi.
To find out more or to support the songo.info programme please visit www.songo.info.
