Marhaba,

My name is Soha Kawtharani. I’m a Lebanese diabetic cyclist who was born and raised in Beirut and later immigrated to Seattle. I fell in love with the freedom of cycling as a little kid pedaling my pink bike around the “corniche” (boardwalk) in Beirut with my father. I rediscovered my love for cycling as a college student in Upstate New York, where my cycling journey began.

On New Year’s Eve of 2018, I was admitted to a hospital in Beirut with severe diabetic ketoacidosis, where I received the unfortunate news that my pancreas had called it quits. The diagnosis was heartbreaking, but it ultimately brought me and the bike closer—the more limits diabetes introduced, the more freedom I chased on the bike. 

Despite all of my positive experiences on the bike, I’ve encountered a myriad of situations that have made me feel unwelcome in cycling circles as a woman, an immigrant, and a type I diabetic. So it’s with that learned experience that I feel compelled to share my story. I know there are more people out there who want and deserve to enjoy the same things cycling has brought me, and I want to create the inclusive space I want for myself and other diabetic cyclists. So here we are, I have answers to questions, personal accounts, and opinions about products. This website is as much for non-diabetics as it is for other diabetic athletes. I’m buzzing with ambition to keep chasing freedom and strength on the bike despite limitations, and I’m thrilled to see where amplifying our voices and learning from each other can take us in the cycling space.

Bi'ssalemeh,

Soha