Moroccan-Italian cyclist Latifa Benharara is cycling approximately 4,500 kilometers from the Maiella massif, a peak in the Abruzzo region of central-eastern Italy, to the heart of the Sahara, according to Morocco’s News Agency (MAP).
Benharara started her month-long journey on Sunday in Sulmona in Italy and will pass through France and Spain, and then cross over to Morocco, before concluding her athletic adventure at Erg Chigaga, one of the great dunes in the south of Morocco, at the end of November.
Benharara told MAP she intends to demonstrate that Moroccan and Arab women can cycle and travel alone around the world by means of this sporting, cultural, social, and human challenge.
The adventure, entitled “From Maiella to Sahara: Bike Experience,” will also “promote exchange and human values through sport, particularly cycling, while encouraging the use of bicycles to maintain physical and mental health and highlighting the importance of eco-tourism and sustainability.”
“The journey consists of 43 stages, averaging 100 kilometers per day,” she said, and was “presented to the Italian parliament which approved it.”
Benharara, who is also the secretary of the Giro d’Italia cycling tour, had to delay her adventure due to a serious illness, but she has since recoverd.
The cyclist said that many amateur and professional cyclists desired to join her for certain stages. A small team will support her throughout the trip and the highlights will be shared daily on social media.
She noted that “her cycling journey also serves as an opportunity to support children affected by earthquakes by helping to build facilities where they can thrive through sports, arts, and cultural activities.”