Marah Zahalka

Crushing every asphalt ceiling in her way

Marah Zahalka is a female racecar driver from Jenin, a Palestinian city in the Middle East. She stole her parents’ car when she was 11 and from that point on they knew she had a knack for racing. However, Zahalka’s life wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine.

Jenin, the city she lived in, was put on a 24-hour curfew by the Israeli army at the same time she learned to drive. The only time she and her family could leave the house was to get food and supplies for two hours a day and if they didn’t obey the rules, the army would result in violence.

Zahalka got her license at age 17 and immediately began doing speed tests. At the beginning of her career, Zahalka didn’t have much support from her family or community because she was a woman competing in a male dominated field. However, as time went on, the community began to rally around her, encouraging her to race more as the years progressed.

Now, Zahalka is the CARE sponsored member, as well as the youngest member, of the first all-girls racing team in the Middle East known as Speed Sisters. This team has gained so much recognition that there was even a documentary made about them, showcasing the highs and lows of the team effort.

Zahalka has placed as high as 2nd out of all drivers in Palestine and has been ranked as the fastest women driver in Palestine in the 4 out of 5 seasons she has raced.

Zahalka works with CARE to encourage young kids to pursue their dreams in any field. Most of all, she works to break the “asphalt” ceiling, like the many other women before her, by demonstrating to the world that racing is not just a male dominated field.

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