Founder of Cycle Sisters Ealing, ride leader and organiser
Fatema is a hugely inspirational role model for Muslim and other women from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Ealing, west London. She taught herself to cycle with the help of her brother at the age of 26, and quickly fell in love with it. Her rides grew and grew, and first time crossing the finish line of London to Brighton, she burst into tears. Unable to ride as much during the pandemic, she reached out to Cycle Sisters and offered to set up a local group in Ealing. Since then she has helped connect the community, trained as a ride leader and developed routes, built a relationship with the council and reached out to more women to join.
“I was embarrassed that I didn’t know how to cycle at my age. I believed it was a fundamental life skill that I did not have and it became my mission to learn to cycle before I turned 30.”
