Athletes making history.
Team Kibera 2023-24
In July 2023 we took a week-long journey to Kenya to interview women from one of the most impoverished areas in Africa to determine which ones had what it takes to commit, train, and race for equality in Rwanda. Many had never been in a swimming pool or rode a bike previously. With your support, we take them from ZERO to triathlete in 1-year.
Meet Sylvia!
Sylvia, 20, mentor and mom.
She was in fourth place on the run during tryouts! As for the swim and bike, we are looking forward to seeing her conquer her fear in the saddle and in the water.
She has a 2-year-old son and works as a mentor to other young mothers through a program called Teen Mom.
She lives at home with her mom and four siblings who all help her take care of her little one. Her mom supports the family by washing clothes.
She told us she is excited to be part of Team Kibera and hopes to help other women learn to have self-love.
As the only mom on our team she is excited to show women in Kibera that they can still go on to accomplish their goals even after they have kids..
Meet Carol!
Carol , 22, was our second-place runner during tryouts! She definitely looked scared on the bike but we know that can be overcome with practice! As for the swim, she definitely has lots of work!
She currently works in data entry but is actually an aspiring graphic artist. One of the reasons she wants to finish the race in Rwanda is to pay for school. (We've promised cash prizes). The program she wants to attend costs around $430, which is four months of wages for her.
She lives at home with her four siblings and parents. Her mom works at a grocery store while her dad works at a bus station in town.
We asked her what she could teach us and she said she’ll show us how to make amazing rice.
When we asked her why she applied to be part of She Can Tri she said, "this is the first time I'll be able to do what I love and get trained."
Meet Lenon!
Lenon, 23, is made of steel with a smile of sweetness.
Out of all the women that showed up to try-outs she was one of two who could balance and pedal on a bicycle without assistance. She says she taught herself! But got into a lot of accidents along the way.
She was also in the top two once in the water . A skill she learned as a scout.
She studied beauty therapy in school and works in her friend's salon. She is also a talented photographer.
She lives with her dad and two brothers.
She can’t wait to go to Rwanda to show the world what women from the slum are truly capable of!
Meet Vivian!
Vivian, 22, was our top runner during try-outs and also not so bad on the bike . She could balance with our coach holding the saddle while running behind her. She does not know how to swim at all but got out of the shallow water and said "that was fun."
Vivian works as a mentor for young girls preparing them to survive in the slums where she says sexual violence is common. She is also studying accounting and financial management.
Our local program manager did not find Vivian when she went to the slum to hand out applications, but Vivian heard about the program and reached out to us! We are so glad she did.
She lives with her parents and three siblings.
She told us she is looking forward to traveling with our team, teaching her teammates to just be themselves, while also working on her own confidence.
Previous She Can Tri Projects:
From Afghanistan to Colorado
Meet Zeinab
She Can Tri's Zeinab made history as the first Afghan woman to finish an IRONMAN event at the Ironman 70.3 in Dubai, February 7th, 2020.
1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim
56-mile (90 km) bike
13.1-mile (21.1 km) run
Last October in 2022, Zeinab became the first Afghan woman ever to race in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, USA on October 28-29th, 2022.
In a 2-year journey of training & fundraising support, Zeinab was able to leave Taliban-occupied Afghanistan to study in the United States and train as a triathlete with She Can Tri.