Stories of Hope
Doing Hope... from Gaza to Zurich

Words: 
Meg Williams

Photography: 
Alex Whitehead
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When I first joined the Amos Team in 2022, one of our partners in Palestine that particularly stood out to me was the Gaza Sunbirds, a para-cycling team who were defying all odds to train in Gaza with the dream of competing internationally for Palestine. A keen cyclist myself, I was amazed to hear that despite the challenges of living under siege, this committed group of para-athletes would train by riding up and down the length of Gaza, which is only 25 miles long. 

 The Gaza Sunbirds 

The Gaza Sunbirds were founded by Alaa Al Dali and London-based Karim Ali. In 2018, Alaa, who at the time was a professional cyclist with dreams of competing internationally, was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper whilst watching the Great March of Return. The explosive bullet resulted in Alaa having his leg amputated from the knee downwards. He thought his cycling dream was over.

After a period of grief and recovery, Alaa channelled his energies into establishing an amputee cycling team within Gaza, naming it the Gaza Sunbirds in reference to their dream to fly free beyond their borders. Before the war broke out in October 2023, 20 para-athletes had begun training, hoping that one day, Alaa and his team mates could leave Gaza and qualify for the Paralympics. 

The explosive bullet resulted in Alaa having his leg amputated from the knee downwards. He thought his cycling dream was over.

The majority of the Sunbirds team lived in Rafah with their families. From October, until the Israelis invaded Rafah in April, they had been undertaking vital food aid distributions to their communities. They then had to rehouse to the central Gaza camps in al Mawasi, and then again — as with the entire population, they had to move from one so-called ‘safe-zone’ to another. As the effects of the war on Gaza’s civilian population continue to be increasingly brutal, the Sunbirds have continued to inspire.

The Original Sunbird: Alaa Al Dali from the Gaza Sunbirds para-cycling team
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In September, they worked with the Welfare Association and Amos on their biggest aid distribution project yet, and they have recently started holding ‘pizza and popcorn parties’ every Friday for children in the displacement camps. Despite the difficult and threatening circumstances they are living under, the team continues to try to instil joy and playfulness in these children’s lives. This makes me think of Palestinian poet and human rights activist Rafeef Ziadah’s words, “We Palestinians wake up every morning to teach the rest of the world life, Sir”. 

Despite the difficult and threatening circumstances they are living under, the team continues to try to instil joy and playfulness in these children’s lives.

From Gaza to Zurich 

In our previous Story of Hope, we talked of how, in April, before the Rafah crossing was completely closed, we finally managed to get permission for Alaa to leave Gaza and travel to Egypt in an attempt to qualify for the Paralympics. Alaa competed in the World Cup qualifying rounds in Belgium, Italy, and Kazakhstan. He hoped this would give him a wildcard, but unfortunately, he couldn’t qualify in time. However, his dream did not die, as he had qualified for the 2024 UCI Cycling Road and Para World Championships in Zurich, one of the most high-profile cycling events after the Tour de France. 

After spending time in Malaysia (one of the only places that doesn’t require entry visas for Palestinians) and then travelling back to Italy for a training camp, Alaa and Karim made their way to Zurich along with Flavia Capelli and her incredible film crew, who have been documenting Alaa’s journey since 2018.

Meeting Alaa 

Chris and I travelled to Zurich to meet Alaa, Karim and the team a few days before his first race. Chris had previously met Alaa in Gaza, but I had not yet had the privilege. When I shook his hand by the side of the river in Zurich, I couldn’t quite believe it was really Alaa, the original Sunbird from Gaza!

Two days before Alaa’s first race, the individual time trial (ITT), we were lucky enough to ride some training laps of the UCI official route with Alaa, as he got to know the course. As we chased Alaa down the hill (he is an absolute machine when he is descending), he was singing ‘Allez allez allez, Meggie Meggie Meggie’ — a wonderful moment that will stay with me forever.

Full Support: A group of young people, including Amos’ Megan Williams (second from the right), supporting the Gaza Sunbirds at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich in September 2024
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After over two years of riding in solidarity with the Sunbirds as part of the Big Ride for Palestine and Amos Road Club, as well as supporting thousands of people to fundraise for the Sunbirds aid missions and to enable Alaa to reach the world championships, it was incredible to see that Alaa had made it to Zurich!  

On the day of the ITT, we mobilised local supporters to come along with Palestinian flags, and we stationed ourselves along the race course, which was a stunning loop of the city that finished alongside Lake Zurich. The Palestinian flag was by far the most prominent, as we called “Yallah Alaa!” from the side of the street. Alaa finished 17th in the ITT. Seeing his name printed next to the Palestinian flag on the results sheet was incredible. 

As we chased Alaa down the hill (he is an absolute machine when he is descending), he was singing ‘Allez allez allez, Maggie Maggie Meggie’ — a wonderful moment that will stay with me forever.

After the race, Alaa said, “I am so pleased with this result. None of the other athletes faces the stress and fear I feel all day, every day. I could only start training again once I left Gaza in April, and then it was so hard in Cairo. All the time I think of my family in Gaza — I long to see my wife and children and constantly worry about them. Yet I know it is right to be here and to fly the flag for Palestine.”

Finishing Line: Alaa at the finish line after one of his races, looking proud to have represented Palestine at the World Championships in Zurich
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Alaa’s second race was the Road Race, which comprised 10 laps of the city course. On another beautiful day, we again stationed ourselves around the city with flags and cameras. What was incredible is that so many people who had no interest in cycling had come out to support Alaa because what he was doing represented so much more than just cycling fast. By being on his bike at the official start line with ‘Palestine’ written across his jersey, Alaa was representing a nation of people whose existence and identity are systematically denied and saying to the world, “We exist, and we have every right to be here”. 

“I am so pleased with this result. None of the other athletes faces the stress and fear I feel all day, every day. I could only start training again once I left Gaza in April, and then it was so hard in Cairo. All the time I think of my family in Gaza — I long to see my wife and children and constantly worry about them. Yet I know it is right to be here and to fly the flag for Palestine.” Alaa Al Dali

Unfortunately, Alaa could not complete the final two laps of the road race, as the front riders had already finished the race. Despite his initial disappointment, when he walked out into the fan zone at the end of his race, there was a big group of people cheering to greet him, which brought a tear to my eye — as I reflected on how far he had come to be there and how much hope it represents for so many people in Palestine and around the world. Alaa’s story and the Gaza Sunbirds team will continue to inspire the thousands of children who have suffered amputations as a result of this war and previous aggressions on Gaza.

Our time in Zurich culminated in a food and film night about the Sunbirds, one of the many community events that Karim and his team had organised as part of their time in Zurich. The Sunbirds were running late, as Alaa was waylaid in the athlete zone, meeting the men’s road race winners — his cycling heroes. When he arrived, he was once again met with a massive round of applause and support from the local community as he and Karim told their story of how Alaa, the original Sunbird, had flown from Gaza to Zurich to raise the Palestinian flag. 

Follow the Gaza Sunbirds on Instagram to see where Alaa’s cycling journey takes him next, and to follow the team in Gaza as they continue to support their communities.
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