Sheyla and Catarina invited the women of Lisbon to the fanciest walk in town. More than a hundred people turned up.
When, at the beginning of July, we met Sheyla Ventura and Catarina Cabral in the Cais do Sodré area planning the route of the Lisbon Fancy Women Bike RideHis expectation was for just over a dozen women cycling. But the city's fanciest bike ride, which took place last Sunday, September 19, ended up with more than a hundred people joining in. "I'm still emotional"Sheyla said two days later.
"But that's just it, it was exciting to see so many women together. What's even more incredible is that many I didn't even know, which means we reached women from all over, as was the main aim of the event"she added. Sheyla, who is amazed by the participants' responses on social media, the photos she keeps receiving from here and there, and the happy faces she sees in these captures, says that "We have seen in practice that creating new bonds brings a sense of security and empowerment among women who enjoy cycling. We're standing strong for 2022".
Catarina, who helped organize this tour that was originally created in Turkey in 2013 and is now taking place in various cities around the world, adds: "I was so happy to see the turnout for the first official edition of the Fancy Women Bike Ride in Lisbon. When I looked back, as we pedaled along, at that giant queue of women, I couldn't believe we'd managed to do something this big - over 100 women! And it gives me hope that this is just the beginning of more and more women cycling in Lisbon. And in other cities too."
Next year, they say, they would like to do something even more organized, possibly having a closed route for the ride in the city, with more entertainment taking place. This year, they looked for a route that would only follow a cycle path for five kilometers, and tested whether the initiative would meet with people's interest. Proven concept, "it gives us the confidence to do it again in 2022 and do even better!"
