She Can Tri, Inc.

Training for an ultra race was difficult, not just because of the distance involved, but also due to the lack of safe places for women to train in public. One of the safe places we secured was in part thanks to a group of volunteers on a foreign military base. They would bring us onto their compound so we could run safely. During these runs, I met an American woman and triathlete named Jackie Faye who was training to become the first woman to do six IRONMANs on six continents in a single calendar year. She was racing in order to fund and launch the nonprofit She Can Tri. Up until this point, I had never heard of triathlon or IRONMAN, but Jackie Faye introduced me to this world.

In January 2019, I was selected from a pool of athletes to compete on the first all-Afghan Female Triathlon team organized by She Can Tri. I trained for an entire year with minimal resources and in the face of many barriers. I was the only woman who completed at this international triathlon. When I crossed the finish line of IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai, I made history as the first woman from Afghan to do so.

Many Afghan girls heard my story and began following in my footsteps, fighting the taboos that stood against their dreams. They did so until last year when the Taliban took over my country once again. However, my story doesn't finish here. My next goal is to bring Afghan women into the spotlight and represent my country at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.

Throughout my life in Afghanistan, I have always tried to push beyond what is expected of a female with my background and culture. Today, I am a Fulbright Scholar, a runner, and the First Afghan woman to complete an Ironman Triathlon. It was not an easy journey to come this far, but not impossible with the support of this organization and mentorship. Now, it is the time for me to give back to my country, a place where women have become more vulnerable than ever before.

As I am telling my story and launching this campaign, there have been more than 300 days passed that girls in grades six to twelve have not been able to go to school. They've lost over one year of education they cannot get back. In the beginning, I wanted this campaign to provide more athletic opportunities for women in my country, but how is that possible when women and girls are banned from their basic rights to education? We must start here.

I'm currently training for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, USA, on October 28-29th, 2022, while pursuing a full-time MBA at Colorado State University. I am grateful that as an Afghan woman I have these opportunities, while many others live with the fear of leaving their homes without their faces covered, accompanied by a male chaperone. My opportunity is not one that can be taken for granted.

I hope you will consider supporting me and my campaign, which supports the future of all Afghan women.

Thank You,

Zeinab.

MEDIA

 

She Can Tri is a non-profit organization racing for equality on and off the playing field. We fundraise, train, and help young women swim, bike, & run no matter what their social, economic, or political background. We then encourage them to use the skills they learned through sports in all areas of their life to succeed. We've run successful projects in Afghanistan & Africa since 2018 and we're only getting started.

FROM KIBERA TO RWANDA

For our 2023-24 project, She Can Tri traveled to Kenya & recruited 4 young females from Kibera Slum in Nairobi, one of the continent's most impoverished areas.

This year's successful athletes; Sylvia, Lenon, Vivian, & Carol grew up and live in Kibera. We're raising $10,000 per athlete ($40,000 total) to support, coach, & train them to compete at the 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 Rwanda.

In partnership with Global Events Africa & IRONMAN Rwanda, these women will race in charity slots alongside our core team. Support She Can Tri's mission to help these ladies cross the finish line in the land of a thousand hills.

Want to follow the ins & outs, the bloopers, and the people behind the mission, jump on our WhatsApp group for more content day by day.

"The finish line for these women is not just about proving something to themselves. They are proving to their country that women can accomplish amazing things when they put their mind to it. They are showing men and women as equals on and off the playing field.”

— Founder, Jackie Faye

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

She Can Tri takes our athletes from ZERO to triathlete in 1-year. Our selected athletes have very limited swimming & biking skills and have never been exposed to the sport of triathlon or the community that surrounds it. Here's how we make the most of the funds that you donate:

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT:

1) GIVE whatever you can. Every penny truly counts! (tax-deductible). Just $10 will transport 1 girl to and from a training practice in Nairobi. A donation of $75 would cover her entire stipend for 1-month.

2) SHARE on social media & with your community (Tag us on your socials!)

Instagram Facebook , Twitter , & Linked In.

3) EMAIL this page - She Can Tri - Go Fund Me to your family + friends.

MEET TEAM KIBERA:

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!

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."

Vivian, 22, was our top runner during tryouts 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.

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 OUR CORE TEAM:

We also invited applications from triathletes & athletes internationally to race in 4 charity slots at the 2024 IRONMAN Rwanda 70.3. Their fundraising efforts over the next year will go towards our $40,000 USD goal.

Mary loves everything related to triathlon and completed her first IRONMAN 70.3 and full IRONMAN in 2021. Mary is naturally passionate about empowering women to have the means to allow sport to positively impact their lives as she knows first-hand the impact it has had on her own. A powerhouse mom of a 5-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, she says sport allows her the space to be better at the delicate balancing act of life. She works as a mental health therapist for a school district in northern Indiana. Leading by example, she can’t wait for her students to see her taking part as a She Can Tri fundraising athlete in the IRONMAN 70.3 Rwanda.

Annie, the challenger. Scottish by birth but living in the United Arab Emirates, Annie is passionate about triathlon because she thrives on pushing herself beyond what she previously thought possible. An experienced property and facilities manager, her dedication to health and wellbeing drive her beyond the boardroom, exemplifying discipline and determination.

Becky is the complete package! A retired professional triathlete, Becky spent nearly a decade racing around the world at distances ranging from Olympic to IRONMAN. She has podium finishes at Olympic ITU as well as 70.3 and IRONMAN races. The love of sport runs in Becky’s veins. She grew up swimming, running, and playing soccer (football for everyone not American). Through the years she has enjoyed coaching and mentoring athletes of all ages. She now enjoys ultra running and bike-packing, as well as gardening and spending time with her dog, Maji. After her professional sports career, Becky earned a PhD in Water Resources and is currently a research scientist at the University of Wyoming where she works with communities and colleagues to navigate water availability and climate change challenges in the Intermountain West. In 2021-2022, she lived in Rwanda to launch a study on sustainable household energy use. Becky is thrilled to bring her passions of triathlon, gender equity, and sustainable development in East Africa together as one of the She Can Tri fundraising athletes racing in the IRONMAN 70.3 Rwanda.

Jillian, outdoor sports enthusiast! Growing up, Jillian fancied softball, basketball, and cycling, but definitely not swimming! That was until her first triathlon, when she was forced to doggie paddle and backstroke most of the swim. Although she was VERY scared that first race, she was determined to overcome her fear by taking lessons as an adult and eventually she earned the title of IRONMAN. Jillian hopes to set an example for other women trying to balance it all. She started from humble beginnings but says her parents and grandparents taught her the value of hard work. It definitely shines through! This single mom of two teens also works as the financial controller for a global financial services firm. Just this year, she took a work sabbatical in Tanzania where she fell in love with the African landscape, wildlife, and most notably the people. She can't wait to return to the continent for IRONMAN 70.3 Rwanda.

MEET OUR AMBASSADORS:

Anyone can sign up as an ambassador for She Can Tri. They simply have to compete in any sporting event across the world in our honor and commit to raising $1,000.

Ashley can’t stop, won’t stop. As a triathlete perhaps the most fatal words you can hear is that you got a DNF, also known as, DID NOT FINISH. At 57, that’s the fate that awaited Ashley after her first attempted IRONMAN 70.3 in 2018, but she did not quit. She came back stronger a year later and finished the IRONMAN 70.3 Durban by a mere three minutes.

Jocelyn, sporty spice. Joss is a Canadian-born, European-based bad-a$$ who’s been involved with the sport for over 15 years. She’s also one smart cookie and studied Political Science and International Policy Analysis at Queen's University where she was also on the triathlon team. Joss grew up as a competitive figure skater in the Rocky Mountains and has worked in the creative industry as a brand & communications director worldwide.

Amber, boss lady. Amber grew up running track and cross-country throughout the high deserts of Western Colorado. Today, she and her family are based in London where she is the CEO of a retail analytics and digital receipt startup. She continues to enjoy long distance running, and looks forward to sharing her love of sports with her young daughter.

Maria, the courageous. The oldest of five children, she battled asthma as a young child growing up on the coast of Maine. She made her way to the mountains of Colorado in her mid-twenties and this is where she flourished in everything outdoors — from rock and ice climbing, to skiing and snowboarding, to trail running, half marathons and full, to sprint triathlons, and, finally, all the way up to competing in a full IRONMAN in Canada. Over the past thirty years, Maria has accomplished any athletic endeavor she has set her mind to achieve. Currently in her offseason, Maria weight trains and prepares for her upcoming swim/run events called “Ötilliö,” which is Swedish for ‘swimming and running island to island.’ When she’s not working as an optical nurse or dog sitting, she can be found hiking around Boulder with her friends and all their adventurous dogs, too.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER:

Jackie Faye is an Emmy-nominated journalist and women's advocate, from 2015 to 2021, she covered the work of NATO troops in Afghanistan. Whilst there she started the nonprofit She Can Tri, giving sports and leadership opportunities to women impacted by war and poverty. To launch the organization, in 2018, Jackie Faye became the first woman to do six IRONMANs on six continents within one year. She Can Tri went on to support the first Afghan woman to finish the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2022. Jackie Faye holds an MA in Business Journalism from Columbia University. Currently, she is also writing a book on relationships, love and her path to becoming a single mother by choice.

DONATE TO SHE CAN TRI TODAY:

In collaboration with our core team, ambassadors & YOUR support, the lives of these women will change forever.

She Can Tri is a U.S.-based tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

WANNA LEARN MORE?

Visit our website: She Can Tri