Yara Shalaby, Egypt’s only active female desert-racing driver, is trying to make a run at a world cup event in Abu Dhabi this March, according to ESPN. Shalaby got her start in the sport five years ago and has cut her teeth on grueling long-distance races like the 1,800 mile Pharaons Rally. She not only completes the races, a feat in and of itself, but has the elite-level skills to compete for spots on the podium. The IT professional and single mother has turned heads on the rally scene, garnering attention for being the first female finisher of the five day race as a primary driver for her team. Shalaby is a quarter of the way toward raising the USD 55k she needs to field an eight-person team for the Abu Dhabi event. Desert rallies don’t follow a set track and aside from the driving skills teams have to be able to navigate the vast tracts of desert they drive through.

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