It's been five months since Noura began a colossal cycling trip around Africa. Starting in Cairo she's currently travelling down towards Cape Town before cycling back up to Morocco. Through her travels she has pushed her physical and mental limits and inspired other women to be adventurous while also promoting ecological tourism through the bicycle.

Noura Iffa said…

“I learned to ride a bike at the age of 14, I used my little sister’s bike with stabilisers! After I took our neighbour’s or my cousin’s bicycle, it was a joyous time to pedal in the park near my house. When I got my first job, the first thing I did was buy a bike to go to work and also go out on weekends around the city. 

“I kept the same [bike] for four years before buying two more, a mountain bike and a travel bike. 

“That was the year I decided to get ready for the big cycling trip.

“I was always a nomadic traveller, in love with changing and distant horizons, inspired by cyclo-traveller friends to jump on this adventure.

I always wanted to explore our continent rich in cultures and traditions

Noura Iffa

“As an African, I always wanted to explore our continent rich in cultures and traditions. 

“I started a year ago to prepare physically, I was training after work by cycling as long as possible. 

“I wanted to combine my love for travel and discoveries with the love of cycling and the freedom and happiness that it gives, for me to travel by bicycle is the ideal speed.

“To realise this dream of cycling around Africa alone and pedalling more than 10,000 km, I took two-years off  from my job to travel through Africa and also to take a step back and take a break from my professional and personal life. 

“My bike trip began in January 2020 from Egypt (Cairo) to South Africa (Cape Town) as a first part then to Morocco. 

“The first days were not easy; my body is not yet used to pedalling every day but what’s great about cycling is that the body adapts over time and improves easily.

Cycling alone had taught me a lot about myself, gave me more self-confidence to go to the end of this dream, taught me to rely only on myself, make my own decisions and assume them, being mentally strong first and then physically, embarking on such an adventure gives more courage

Noura Iffa

“It's a sporting challenge for me, the fact of relying only on my legs to advance seems ideal to me to push my physical and mental strength to the maximum. it is also an opportunity to inspire people to experience cycling. 

“It’s been five months since I started this journey across Africa, cycling alone had taught me a lot about myself, gave me more self-confidence to go to the end of this dream, taught me to rely only on myself, make my own decisions and assume them, being mentally strong first and then physically, embarking on such an adventure gives more courage.

“I take advantage of this trip to inspire other African women to be adventurous, and to promote ecological tourism through the bicycle that is the symbol of green tourism to limit pollution and protect our planet, it is also an opportunity to develop cycling tourism in Africa.”

 

In the five months since Noura has been cycling she has travelled 2,900km crossing three countries. 

“Currently I am stuck in Ethiopia because of the coronavirus waiting for the borders to open and life becomes normal to continue the journey.”

Nominated by…

Noura was nominated for the 100 Women in Cycling by Saayda Iffa who said: 

“She is the first African women from Morocco cycling alone from Egypt to Cape-town, to inspire and meet other women from all over Africa."