On a dirt track in the mountains above Tehran, the rider on the yellow 250cc Suzuki dirt bike speeds through the sand and dust, launching off of small hills and racing on.

This daring rider can hang with the best on this course. But there is often an awkward moment of silence when the helmet comes off and bystanders realize they’ve been watching a woman.

Behnaz Shafiei is one of the few women in Iran riding motocross at a high level. The lively 26-year-old says she has loved motorcycles since she was a child but only took up her passion as a teenager.