With her bright orange pedicure, Michael Kors handbag andskinny jeans, Maysoon Jayyusi hardly looks like a Palestinian speed racer --until she gets behind the wheel. The minute she starts up her SUV, she's off --coursing ahead of the rest of the traffic, weaving among bewildered locals inthe crowded streets of the West Bank city of Ramallah. It's easy to see why theteam she heads -- the Middle East's first female speed racing team -- has beendubbed the ‘Speed Sisters’.
The group of six women, Muslims and Christians from their20s to mid-30s, have battled sceptical parents, the realities of the Israelioccupation and a sometimes disapproving public to become local stars and eventhe subject of a documentary. "We feel we are free when we're doingthis," teammate Mona Ennab, 26, said. "It's a way to escapeeverything around us."
Jayyusi, 36, said her love of speed was born out offrustrating hours stuck in long lines at Israeli checkpoints. "I feel suchdepression at the checkpoints, but this speed makes me feel like I'm powerful,it helps me expel my depression," she said. "When the soldier finallylets you past, you feel like you want to fly."
Jayyusi had to take lessons behind her parents' backs aftergraduating with a business degree from Bir Zeit University, saving up hersalary to pay for them. "They didn't think I needed my licence, and it wasexpensive," she said. But it paid off. In 2010, the skills displayed inher daily commute drew notice and she was approached by the head of thePalestinian Motor Sport and Motorcycle Federation, Khaled Qaddoura. He offeredJayyusi the chance to participate in a training camp for drivers sponsored bythe British Council, along with several other women, all with different levelsof experience -- and the Speed Sisters were born.
There is no escaping the fact that Israel's presence in theWest Bank affects the team's ability to practise and drive. Their one-time practicespot by the Ofer military prison has become unusable because of the debris --stones, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters -- left behind from clashesbetween protesters and Israeli troops. And long-distance rally driving in aterritory carved up into three administrative areas and dotted with militarycheckpoints is impossible, Jayyusi said
Undaunted, the women have major ambitions, boosted by arecent trip to the famed Silverstone racetrack in Britain. "I want tocompete internationally at Formula One," Saadeh said. "My dream is torace at Silverstone as a professional.
