Gaza's disabled cyclists deliver aid, inspiration and hope

Alaa al-Dali remembers well the day he was shot by an Israeli sniper in March 2018 as he joined the protest marches in Gaza that took place every Friday.

"I was dressed in my cycling jersey and had my bike," he told DW.

He had gone especially to protest after his applications to leave Gaza, a strip of land that is just 41 kilometers (46 miles) long and 12 kilometers at its widest, to compete as a cyclist in Egypt, Algeria and elsewhere had been refused by the Israeli authorities.

"I was 300 meters away from the fence, holding my bike in one hand and I was shot in the leg. I looked down and there was smoke coming out of it."

Doctors asked him if he had been hit by a bullet or a bomb.

"There are not many antibiotics or surgical equipment in Gaza."

After eight or nine days, doctors gave him a choice — his leg or his life. 

It has been a long and hard journey for the former member of the Palestinian cycling team since but he has got back in the saddle and is also a co-founder of the Gaza Sunbirds.

"The idea for it came from meeting people who had amputated legs in Gaza. It was born out of the idea to represent Palestine and be like a free bird. When you live in Gaza you are under siege from all directions so for us it is a symbol of freedom."

From racing to helping

There were 25 riders with ages ranging from 12 to 49.

"We had five classes a week and it was about owning your own narrative and regaining mobility through cycling."

Following October 7, 2023, when the militant, Islamist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, and then the Israeli military response that followed, it was not possible for the riders to train any more in Gaza. Bombs devastated the territory that was home to over two million people, causing the deaths of over 40,000 people and rendering many more wounded, homeless and destitute.

"The team needed to keep the idea alive so started using their bikes to distribute parcels to the people in Gaza," al-Dali added. "It started with bread."

At first the Sunbirds focused on supermarkets and warehouses that had been bombed and whose food was going to waste. Then they moved onto dealing directly with farmers as Sunbirds co-founder and manager Karim Ali explained.

"When Israel invaded the southern half of Gaza, the farmers couldn't pick up their vegetables," he said.

Trying to operate at all in Gaza is extremely difficult.

"The team are bombarded, the safe areas are under attack. We had to relocate after the invasion of Rafah."

There is an electricity crisis in Gaza which also affects the internet.

"It is hard to communicate and there is a constant wave of displacement. There is a black hole of logistics and there is a black hole of life."

Despite all the challenges, the Sunbirds, who rely on donations and have also established partnerships with other organisations, have made a difference. According to the organization, they have distributed around $300,000 (€269,000) worth of aid. This includes 72,000 kilograms (158,000 pounds) of food, 7,000 hot meals and over 225 shelters,though some tents that have been ordered are stuck in Egypt.

"A lot of families are dependent on the Sunbirds," said Ali.

"They are astonished when they see us coming, that people with disabilities are bringing them aid, but there is more than that. The Sunbirds are rising to the challenge.  That brings a lot of hope to people and they can become quite emotional."

Planting the flag around the world

The Sunbirds may have turned to distributing aid to their fellow Palestinians but al-Dali still has ambitions of competing internationally. In February, he was evacuated to Egypt and immediately targeted the Paralympics in Paris with Ali as his coach. Al-Dali has ridden in Belgium, Italy and Kazakhstan.

 "We decided that we had one last chance for the Olympics and that was through a wildcard application," Ali said.

"We knew that there was a 5% chance of a 5% chance of a 5% chance but we thought we could overcome each obstacle and then go onto the next one. It was an achievement just to be able to apply."

It was not successful but the desire still burns fiercely.

"The Paralympics is a north star for us and will always be. Look out for us in 2028 and 2032," Ali said.

Not Paris, but Zurich

Before then are the World Championships in Zurich running from September 21 to 29. Al-Dali will compete. Getting into the top 15 or 20 would be a huge success.

"The reality is that Alaa will be up against the best of the best, people who have been training for three or four years and do nothing but train," said Ali.

Even if al-Dali is fitter now than he has ever been, he still has challenges that many others do not.

"We got our visas at the last second, you know, we are always waiting for visa applications and extensions," Ali added.

"We have a severe lack of stability and we don't have a home base and have nowhere to go between seasons and competitions. The race never stops for us."

There is also a lack of stability and safety for family and friends back in the Palestinian territories that is always on al-Dali's mind. But this also drives him on. 

"We won't get a medal but will show and prove the strength and the power of what we are doing," al-Dali said.

"It takes a nation to develop an athlete but our nation is torn, is being attacked and has no money. But we do have love, from Palestine and from everywhere in the world."

Edited by: Matt Pearson