PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — During the pandemic, Ajoa Abrokwa needed a COVID-safe outlet. That’s when she discovered the world of cycling.
“Being on that bike really helped me reconnect with the outdoors,” said the Strawberry Mansion native. “The sun is beaming on me, I’m riding through natural green spaces. And it really did allow for my emotional wellness.”
Soon, though, she noticed underrepresentation in the sport. So, she did some research.
“I found there’s not a lot of girls of color that race bikes or even know that cycling is a sport that they can participate in. So that’s when I decided I wanted to create Philly Focused & Fit, to try to raise some awareness and provide exposure and experience to an activity that I enjoy,” she said.
The lifelong athlete and mother of three launched She is Focused Community Inc., a nonprofit that empowers women and girls to reach their full potential through wellness and physical fitness.
Abrokwa said cycling has given her a level of physical activity that helps balance her emotions.
“And coming from the urban space — especially now, with the social climate that we have going on in Philly and with all the violence and the compounded trauma — I definitely believe that it could serve as a benefit,” she said.
As a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, Abrokwa found it difficult to find appropriate cycling gear. She wanted to encourage other Muslim women into the sport too — so she made her own apparel.
“I designed and now I have a manufacturer I work with and I created my own. So I don’t have to worry about looking for long-sleeve jerseys in the summer or long bibs because I have my own and I sell them,” she said.
She also hopes young girls see that this is not all about the sport itself. Cycling can take them down pathways toward transformative futures.
“I want [girls] to get up and get out and get on a bike to help manage some of that energy and those emotions that they’re having around a lot of what’s going on around them, and possibly to them.
“In addition to that, I want them to better understand or gain an understanding of the industry of cycling. You may not really want to race bikes, and that’s cool. However, there are so many different career pathways in the industry that are underrepresented.”
