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Mukashema Josiane’s life transformed by cycling

Mukashema Josiane, a cyclist who competes in various races, including representing her country, has improved her life through this profession, which is practiced by only a few women.

Mukashema hails from Nyabihu District and is a member of the Benediction Cycling Team.

Entering this sport was not easy for her, largely due to societal beliefs in Rwanda that cannot imagine a girl or woman making a living from cycling.

She entered this profession seeking a livelihood, but initially planned to quit once she got married. However, after starting, she began to realize her dreams, as she explains.

Mukashema, who is now a professional cyclist and competes internationally, says her initial dream was to be able to afford the essentials as a girl and take care of herself without relying heavily on her family.

She said, “When I was still in school, I would ask my parents for soap or lotion, but now I can buy these things for myself. It all comes from riding a bike.”

She mentioned that people’s comments used to weigh heavily on her mind, and reconciling their misunderstandings of her profession was not easy. However, her family supported her and appreciated her choices.

Mukashema started her career in 2018 and began participating in both national and international competitions.

She participated in many competitions held in Rwanda and abroad, including the African Cycling Championship in Egypt and the Commonwealth Games.

Regarding the challenges she has faced, Mukashema Josiane pointed out the lack of strong teams and the limited number of competitions.

She said, “One of the main challenges we face as female cyclists is the lack of competitions and strong teams. Some of my colleagues have experienced success, but overall, if we could have more top-level races, both locally and internationally, we would become stronger athletes like others.”

Some people say that due to the physical training female cyclists undergo, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish them from men because of their physique.

This often raises the question of whether it is difficult for female cyclists to find husbands or partners, a question that Mukashema, who considers cycling her job, has answered.

She said, “They say that it is difficult for a girl who practices sports at this level to find a husband, but I think that’s not true. If someone loves you, they won’t mind that you are a professional athlete. When we are at work, we are at work, but when we are in our personal lives, we are like everyone else. So yes, we do get approached by suitors without any problem.”

Mukashema has won more than 20 medals, and in terms of victories, she can hardly count: she won the ITT [Individual Time Trial] race at the African Championship in Egypt, and she and her teammates from Team Rwanda brought home 10 medals.

After representing Rwanda in the Commonwealth Games in the UK in 2022, they achieved further success.

In 2023, Mukashema competed in a race in Burundi and brought home five medals, finishing second overall behind her teammate Ingabire Diane.

Aiming for great heights in her career, Mukashema encouraged girls living in rural areas who wish to pursue different sports to take them up professionally and be diligent in everything they do.

She said, “To those girls who are still hesitant, living in rural areas because there are many of them, I would tell them to believe in themselves. If they love something, they should pursue it professionally and not be discouraged by what people say.”

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