In my fifteen years of being friends with Shazia Bhatti, one thing has remained unchanged: her endless positivity. Staying true to her core values of generosity of spirit, kindness and lack of judgement about any and every one, Shazia has always lived life on her own terms.
After her return with her family from Los Angeles in 2007, I met Shazia outside our sons’ classrooms at their new school, and there was something about her that made me instantly bond with her: her artless laughter, her love for her family, and her endearing graciousness to everyone she met. Years later, Shazia is still that person and more. Now with her trademark passion she is doing one more thing she loves: cycling.
A homemaker, mother of two sons, twenty-four and twenty-three, and a pre-school teacher for five years, Shazia is anything but a typical Lahore socialite.
Shazia’s journey of cycling opens a new world for the females of Lahore and the rest of Pakistan. That things that they take as difficult or as mostly male activities are not only doable but also a wonderful way of taking their minds and bodies away from the usual stress of their world delineated in rigid parameters. Committing to a hobby, and that to the one that is good for you, and trying to do your part to mitigate the damages of the climate change, is a beautiful gift that has endless possibilities. Quietly, it transforms the way you look at things, as you learn to pause and inhale the beauty you are conditioned to take for granted. Gradually, you acquire a unique self-awareness—everything is possible. You and only you have the power to make your dreams come true. One day at a time, one mile at a time.
My incredible friend Shazia is a glorious manifestation of that and more.
I asked the long-distance cyclist Shazia Bhatti a few questions:
First things first! Why cycling?
Why not cycling! It’s fun and easy and kind of addictive. It brings back a part of your long-lost childhood. Also, it helped me settle down in Lahore on our return from the US. Lahore became magical when I slowed down and started observing it at a different pace.
It is also the best thing I can do for my planet. Time to go green was yesterday.
How long have you been cycling in Lahore?
On and off, I have been cycling in Lahore for a very long time. I am one of the earlier members of Critical Mass Lahore [cycling group], but I started cycling more regularly about four years ago. It started with Sunday socials, and soon it turned into a five-day-a-week activity.
Seven thousand miles so far, which are the places you have cycled to in Punjab?
Can you imagine these insane miles! It didn’t happen with any planning, but the more I rode the bike, the more I wanted to ride the bike! I bought a state-of-the-art machine sometime in early 2020. Then came the COVID-19 lockdown, and I was left with my bike, something that helped me get through that time like a breeze. Both my children were in college in Boston, my husband was in the village to look after the lands, and I had all the time in the world. I usually went cycling, early in the day, on the canal, to Thokar Niaz Beg, to Jallo Park.
I am very lucky I got the opportunity to cycle to different cities in Punjab. From Lahore I went to Jaranwala, Islamabad, Kasur, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Kartarpur, and Murree, uphill and downhill. I am now dying to go for cycling in Gwadar, let’s see when that happens.
Almost all the females and males in my cycling group have full-time jobs, but they make time to fully commit to what they love. All of us have the capacity within ourselves to compartmentalize our lives in a healthy and constructive manner, we just need to look beyond our comfort zones.
What are your suggestions for the relevant authorities to encourage cycling in Lahore and other big cities?
The Punjab government is already assisting us. There are plans to make bike-only lanes. I wish coffee houses in Lahore could have designated bike-only parking. It will be a win-win situation: solve the parking issue and keep the citizens healthier by giving them a fun opportunity for daily exercise while reducing their carbon footprint. Cycling can be hugely beneficial, on many levels, in a city the size of Lahore, and in other major cities of Punjab and the rest of Pakistan.
In Pakistan mainstream cycling is considered a necessity for the low-income earning stratum of society. For a miniscule number, it's a hobby. Do you have any ideas for changing perceptions about cycling?
The only way to change the perceptions is to try cycling for yourself. We can encourage our children to cycle to their schools after making sure it’s safe for them to do so. We can take steps to educate the masses, and by giving them incentives. We can do public campaigns in media with celebrities to raise awareness about the benefits of cycling.
How would you describe people's reaction to and behaviour with you and other female members of your cycling group, especially when you are cycling through small towns and rural areas?
Everywhere I have gone on my bike, people have been awesome. Initially I was a tad nervous but after a while, I was not scared of cycling anywhere. When I’m cycling in Lahore and stop at a traffic signal or somewhere else, most people just give me a thumbs up. It is very rare that someone tries to bother me or anyone else in our group.
The wonderful interaction with people everywhere is one of the major reasons that take me back to cycling again and again. Imagine fruit vendors refusing to take money from you, random people opening their homes for you to use the restrooms, people taking pictures, and encouraging you with their kind words. It is all utterly lovely, and I love every bit of it.
