“The main reason we started snowboarding was to bring a change and tell the people of the world that Afghanistan is no longer the way it used to be. We’re the new generation.” – Musawer Khanzai
When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, members of the Afghanistan Snowboard Federation‘s way of life became nearly immediately threatened. Their love for the sport and their willingness to encourage woman to participate in it put them in danger.
“Everything just changed in a matter of one night. You sleep and you hope, and you wake up with a different flag.” – Musawer Khanzai
Fortunately, with the help of professional snowboarder Victor Daviet, all 15 members of that incredible team were able to safely make it out of the country and on their way towards France. They’re now living their lives, learning French, working full time, and, of course, snowboarding.
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“It was quite a lesson in courage, and commitment, and fortitude, and a lot of empathy on the part of Victor and a lot of other people. It’s pretty inspiring. The story is inspiring to me and I hope it’s inspiring to people who watch. And to be honest, I feel a little unworthy of adding much more ’cause their story should speak for itself.” – Tim Sweeny
Image Credit: Salomon via YouTube