"If you really want something, you can achieve anything - even as a woman in Iran!"
FREERIDE: How long have you been mountain biking?
Somaye Farahani: Only for four years. Before that, kung fu was my passion. Mountain biking had appealed to me for a long time, but my mum was against it. She said it wasn't for women. She now supports me.
There are no equal rights in Iran: For example, women must always cover their hair in public.
Yes, that's true, but we women are allowed to bike. Many people don't like that, but I don't care. I have an exotic status in Iran and am always asked the same questions, for example: "Aren't you afraid to ride down there?"
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How can we imagine the scene in Iran?
Mountain biking is popular, but the MTB scene is small, and the downhill scene is of course even smaller. Our problem: it's difficult to get hold of equipment. The sanctions make everything extremely expensive.
What are your goals?
I would love to take part in international races. My dream: to start at a UCI World Cup. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to travel restrictions. I've applied for a visa for Europe, so we'll see if anything comes of it. My dream countries: Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Austria. However, races in Asia are more realistic. It's easier to organise trips here.
What criteria do you have to fulfil for a visa?
I don't know that exactly. The government is afraid that people won't come back, because many who leave never come back.
Do you follow the DH World Cup?
Sure, I watch all the races on redbull.tv. I'm impressed by women like Camille Balanche, Manon Carpenter and Myriam Nicole.
Can you make a living from sport?
No, I have to buy everything myself. I don't have any sponsors, my DH bike is five years old and I have to be very careful that nothing breaks because there are hardly any replacements. You can order from neighbouring countries, but that's complicated and expensive. My main job is as a mechanical engineer.
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Let's talk about clichés. Unfortunately, Germans often think that all Iranians want to become doctors, make nuclear bombs and that women have no rights.
And in Bavaria, everyone wears lederhosen and dirndls. Clichés, ha ha! The medical profession used to be in demand because there were hardly any jobs with similarly good pay. Women's rights? Look at me, I do everything I want. I'm just not allowed to wear my hair down. I love my country and enjoy living in Iran.
Does sport help to promote equality?
You have the wrong impression. I don't care what others say. It may have been different in the past, but certainly not any more. If you really want to, you can do a lot. Admittedly: There are still only a few women in Iran who do this. Yet!
Iran has many mountains - there must be plenty of trails there. A few years ago, we already went on a search.
Yes, I like travelling in the mountains and exploring the area. That works best with my motorbike. But the infrastructure is lacking. There are only a few forest roads leading up there. There are no lifts anyway.
Do you know the downhiller Hossein Zanjanian? There was a big interview with him in FREERIDE in 2014.
Of course I know Hossein. He recently married a friend of mine. He's still the best downhiller in Iran, and he's also one of the top riders in Asia. Hossein has achieved what I still want to do.
