'That's why Taliban is scared': Cyclist's incredible journey to silver

In short:

Fariba Hashimi claimed a silver medal in the women's cycling road race at the Asian Games.

Hashimi escaped Taliban-run Afghanistan in 2021 and now lives and trains in Italy.

What's next?

Hashimi said she hoped her medal would help inspire other women from Afghanistan.

The easy part for Fariba Hashimi was winning a silver medal in the women's cycling road race at the Asian Games.

The nearly impossible part for the cyclist from Afghanistan was trying to train in her country. To do that, she dressed as a man in a place where women have few rights.

"All the time when I was going to training I was dressing as a guy," she said.

She said she also hid her face to avoid being recognised.

"Because sometimes when they recognised me, they were trying to throw … stone[s] or hitting me," she said.

Hashimi, who is 23, won silver overnight AEST in a time of 2 hours, 50 minutes, 5 seconds, which marked another leg in a journey that began in 2021 when she left Afghanistan, escaping to Italy with the help of former road racing world champion Alessandra Cappellotto.

"In 2021, when the Taliban moved into my country, I escaped my country because I wanted to follow my dream," she said.

"I want to show the Afghanistan women in the world that … we can have an opportunity."

Hashimi talked about having many dreams for women in Afghanistan, dreams for herself and dreams that might take time to be realised.

"I'm really, really happy and I'm full of emotion. I don't know how I can explain it for you," she said.

"I hope one day I come back in my country and ride the streets of Kabul — and riding with the women side by side to share the same passion.

"And I hope in the future changing some things.

"I think we are really tired of the situation of our country and I hope the Taliban is watching. I know how much one woman can be powerful, and that's why Taliban is scared [of] women."