Florence Nakagwa’s cycling journey began out of necessity during the Covid-19 pandemic, when she used her bike to make daily 50km deliveries to her grandparents’ home. While football and volleyball were her focus throughout school, cycling always intrigued her, especially with her dad and brothers being cyclists. Over time, she realised that, despite cultural traditions in Uganda, cycling was a sport she could pursue as well.

She recalls, “In 2021, I had an opportunity to break that culture when Masaka Cycling Club, which mostly had boys as members, were looking for girls to join. I always had the belief that girls can cycle the same as boys do, and so I joined. In the same year, I decided that cycling would be my career, and I had daily coaching and training, including from my dad, who helped start the club.”

Florence hails from SSAZA, a small town in Masaka City, 136km from Uganda’s capital. It’s a close-knit community where the people are known for their kindness, hard work, and love for sports. Cycling was once discouraged by parents, but the opening of the Masaka Cycling Club Foundation has shifted that perspective. The sport is now growing in popularity, and the club has expanded from just ten riders to over 40, including both boys and girls across various categories.

Having quickly immersed herself in cycling, Florence has dipped her toes in both road and gravel disciplines. In 2022, she raced gravel with Team Amani, an East African team based in Iten, Kenya. In 2023, she won the Ugandan National Road Championship before competing at the African Continental Road Cycling Championships and the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow. In 2024, she was part of the Ugandan team that placed fourth in the mixed relay at the African Continental Championships and took on her longest stage race to date, the Tour du Burundi Féminin. She has also attended UCI training camps three times over the past two years.

Riding bikes has been a life-changing chapter for Florence, as she explains:

“Through cycling, I managed to earn and save money and then purchased my own plot of land. I have managed to help out my family financially, hence taking care of my little brothers’ school dues. I have also met new friends and been recognised by many people.”

Due to visa challenges, it took Florence over 12 months to reach Europe and meet her CANYON//SRAM Generation teammates. Despite the frustrations, she stayed focused on her training and credits her family’s support for keeping her motivated.

“I’ve stayed optimistic and kept believing in myself after having chosen cycling as my career. My father and brothers have been always helping me as training partners. I have received some training programs and have had various talks with different people in the sport who are encouraging and motivating.

With Florence now in Europe, we’re ready for a season together in 2025.

“I aim to be a resilient and good teammate to all my teammates. I hope to be nurtured through the different aspects of cycling with my teammates and get to participate in a number of UCI races in 2025.”