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 "I was told: 'You're a girl, you can't race. Girls can barely
drive on asphalt, let alone race in a desert'," the 34-year-old
said.
"All the depressing people around me were happy with this experience
because it proved them right. But I was not (happy)," she said of
her failure to make the finish line in Egypt's El Gouna Rally Cup in
2013.
Six months later, when she came second in what was only her second
rally, the El Remal Desert Challenge in Egypt's western desert,
Shalaby's critics were forced to think again.
She went on to compete in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and
ranked first in her category in Egypt's Pharaons International Cross
Country Rally in 2014.
 In further proof that rally driving is not a male-only sport, this
year Shalaby set up the Middle East's first women's rally team, the
Gazelle Rally which has seven drivers and has secured sponsorship
for 2016.
Sporting a black team-shirt, Shalaby climbs into her Land Cruiser to
show off her skills behind the wheel, leaving a cloud of dust as she
speeds into the sand on the eastern edge of Cairo, looping and
twisting through the scrub.
Egypt, whose rough, dry terrain lends itself to off-road driving,
used to be a stop on the Dakar Rally, the famous endurance challenge
launched in 1978. The race shifted to Latin America in 2009 due to
security concerns.
[to top of second column] |
Shalaby, who juggles her roles as mother of a six-year-old boy, IT
specialist at a bank and professional rally driver, has always been
drawn to the desert.
“I loved the desert environment since I was a kid. I used to go on
safaris and camps all the time, but being able to race in the desert
gives me a special rush and joy," she said.
"When I first started racing, male drivers used to tease me ... But
now, I get really good feedback from them. They are usually very
excited about my achievements and they constantly encourage me.”
(Editing by Lin Noueihed and Robin Pomeroy)
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