Ashleigh’s pedalling for progress
SHE is only 1.60m tall (five foot three), but top cyclist Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio packs as powerful a punch on the bike as she makes a statement for the advancement of women through sport.
Every time Moolman-Pasio gets onto the bicycle, she rides for a deeper purpose of inspiring women to believe in their abilities beyond the traditional constructs of a patriarchal society.
It is through cycling and overcoming different barriers that she has found her voice and her passion.
“I’m also somewhat of an advocate for women’s cycling forward in terms of my opinions,” said Moolman-Pasio.
“My personal growth, chasing this dream of competing at the Olympic Games, surpassing that and trying to medal at the Games… and through all the obstacles I overcame, I feel I have become a stronger woman.
“I honestly believe that sport serves as a tool of empowerment to women and that is something I’d like to keep pushing through the years.”
Moolman-Pasio took up cycling at a relatively late stage in her life.
She made her Olympic debut in the London 2012 Olympic Games, finishing in 16th place before winning the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medal.
Becoming the first South African to finish in the top 10 of the UCI rankings in 2015, Moolman went into the Rio Games as one of the hot favourites for a podium finish.
The Games did not pan out quite as well as she had hoped even though she broke new ground with a top-10 placing at the global showpiece.
Fracturing her hip in October last year compounded her frustrations, but she managed to bounce back this season after spending six months in recovery.
A dream year followed a disappointing 2016 - she became the highest-ranked South African road cyclist ever by climbing to third in June. This season she’s collected nine victories on the international circuit and finished second overall in the Giro dell Toscana title in September.
Reaching her current ranking in the world represents the pinnacle for Moolman-Pasio, although the lack of depth in South African women’s cycling makes winning a world title a tall order.
The Olympic Games demonstrated how tough it is for smaller teams like South Africa where she could rely on the lone support of An-Li Kachelhoffer as her domestique.
“We don’t have the depth in women’s cycling to be able to send a strong enough team who will be able to support me (in world champs),” she said.
“It is possible if things fall nicely into place, and if the tactics of the other teams suit me I could maybe pull off a result but it is never something I can really write on paper that I want to be world champion this year.
“It is a bit sad but that is why a world ranking is important to me and to be able to reach a number-three world ranking and to maybe see it is possible to really aim for number-one.”
Although the pace of women’s empowerment in South African sport can at times be frustrating, Moolman-Pasio believes there is a glimmer of hope that women can increasingly make their mark on the global stage.
The recent SA Sports Awards provides some anecdotal evidence that the country was making encouraging, albeit small, strides in promoting female participation,
Moolman-Pasio was nominated for SA Sportswomen of the Year along with Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya and world lightweight single sculls rowing champion Kirsten McCann.
“For me, it was really a turning point in terms of how far South African women’s sport has come over the years,” Moolman-Pasio said.
“To be nominated amongst names like Kirsten McCann and Caster Semenya where they are both world champions in their respective sports and competing and winning on the international stage.”
Moolman-Pasio believes local events such as the Comrades Marathon, the Cape Argus, and the 94.7 Cycle Challenge have been elevated above many international events due to sports isolation.
“To a certain extent that still exists. If I just look for example at my recent performance at the 94.7, winning the race in South Africa and the huge exposure I get from winning a race in South Africa in comparison to the exposure I get from winning in Europe,” she said.
“I feel really positive that more and more women are taking that leap of faith or that next step of competing and performing internationally.”