Unit Five

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Adventure cyclist Ishbel Holmes has to Iran and traveled solo around The World , but her early life was difficult and traumatic. Thrown out by her mother at 16, she found herself homeless, and plagued by thoughts of suicide. If you leave was made, a homeless unit, five years later, it was clear, you had to make a change. They began to wheel and set off round The World - leads to An Encounter with a stray Dog , to transform the was your life forever.

One of my first experiences on a bike was in Manchester, where My Father used to get the cycle over the town, 20kg-bag of potatoes, which was a few cents cheaper. I was still in diapers, and I was sitting in a small seat next to his saddle, with potatoes behind me.

My Father was studying there When he met and fell in love with my mother. It is the time of the Iranian Revolution and the Iran suddenly stopped, the payments to foreign students, to encourage them to try their nationals. Just as his money dried up, and the bike quickly became an important tool for survival.

When I was two years old, we moved to Scotland, so That My Father could find work. But The Marriage did not work and they parted.

once, When I was visiting dad, a friend of him asked me to sit on his knee, and slipped his hand up my leg. I must be old for seven years. After That , I just still feel really bad. I felt like I was this horrible, horrible girl. I think That was When I really began to hate me.

My Father visited once more, And Then he disappeared. I thought it was my fault That he went.

Ishbel with Lucy in Turkey , As my Two Brothers and I were older, my mum has always struggled to cope with them. She began to blame The Family 's problems on me.

things Between Us were unhappy and tense, and I pulled even more. As my sixteenth birthday approached, I was very anxious to know, this date was When my mom is no longer responsible for me.

As I feared, shortly after my birthday she got me kicked out for good. Then, When you closed the door - That was One of the hardest moments in My Life . This moment of standing on The Steps down to The Path , and have no other choice than to walk. It was like slow motion. I just went slowly and went on.

Finally, they found me a foster family, but All I wanted was to Go Home . I prayed to every God I ever heard of for My Family , to me.

One Day , I stopped and went back to my job on Saturday and a car wanted in the direction of The Lake . It was a group of men. She asked if I could show you the way, say, you would bring me back. I got in The Car , but they did not bring it back to me immediately. They took me and raped me.

I didn't tell anyone because I thought it was my fault. I think it was for me to be punished for "bad". I dealt with it by blocking it.

By the time I was used to people doing what she wanted with me. I had no self-esteem. I didn't want to eat right. I hated myself so much I wanted to die.

Lucy soaks up the Turkish sun on the way to Antalya, The Men came back for me, and I refused to get into The Car . I ran away. I was so desperate, I went to a phone booth and called my mum. I was to be condemned. I had to cry, sobbing, to say That I would do whatever she wanted.

", I can be The Girl That you want to be," I said. "Bad things happened. "I told her what had happened. All you said was That it was my fault and I needed to change.

After All , the die was I wanted to do. At One point I was calling a suicide prevention line every 20 Minutes .

At 21, I was thrown out of a homeless device. The Key worker yelled at me, said I would. always in the gutter There was something about her -When She Said That - That made me think, "I can't allow this. "

I knew I had to make a decision. I had to commit me to live and not be consumed by the thoughts of Death .

Ishbel, and other members of the Iranian women's Cycling team, Picking me was the hardest thing I had to do. I just had a sudden super woman, crawled out I where I was.

I enrolled in the school. I bought a second-hand Bicycle because it was faster and cheaper than the bus.

I started Cycling with a local bike club. I was the only woman, and I was Cycling by, I begin myself on the back, with to. Slowly, I began to keep.

I loved the Cycling quickly, because it was a Great Escape , I loved the Cycling quickly, because it was a Great Escape , but My Life was better. I was Cycling so much, That it must have been so many endorphins from fire at All times. I also had my first sense of belonging anywhere.

If you built the velodrome Cycling arena in Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games , I went for a laugh. And Then I got an offer for a place for a competitive sprint team in Glasgow.

At my first big competition, I raced past the previous Commonwealth-Games-to-win winner from Scotland to Gold.

It was at this point, I had the opportunity to go to Iran. In retrospect, it was not The Right time for me, but it was a drag, because I had family there.

In Tehran, they asked That I take the test for the Iranian team, and offered me a place in your team. I thought, "This is my chance to make a connection with This Country , and My Father . "So I decided, the race for Iran, instead of staying in a qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

I was never involved in the rights of women, but in Iran it was extremely. I started to speak, against the way The Women drivers were treated.

Ishbel in the Bolivian Altiplano, We had to train the wearing of hijab, in the sweltering heat is terrible. The Women had removed their phones, they - The Women , not The Men . I was told this was so The Girls were not distracted and messaging boys.

I spoke out against the discrimination and bullying, but nothing Changed . Finally, I announced.

I flew from Tehran to Turkey , where by chance I met A Man who is already on Tour with his bike for months.

I knew in That Moment That it was what I wanted to do.

I got a flight back to Scotland, sold the little belongings I had and set off. Then I caught a flight to nice, in France and began Cycling in The World .

Ishbel hazards has, alone, more than 20 countries in search of Lucy

It was in Turkey along the Marmara sea, I met Lucy . I saw this bright Dog padding along by my rear wheel. I pressed on the pedals and tried to cycle, but they gave chase. I didn't plan to stop. I was Cycling in The World - what would I do with a Street Dog ?

you are trying to keep to this step, your shape is deformed in the distance. After I while, I thought: "This is simply wrong, Ishbel. "So I pulled the brakes.

you finally Caught Up with me, way fell to the ground, a Meter or so. I stretched out my hand but she kept her distance.

I went to find a campsite in the vicinity, and she followed me.

The Following day I was planning to take her back to her village, but she was attacked by a gang of dogs.

See this four dogs - the fact That it was a group of them - and how they responded, transported me back to When I was 16. You didn't try to run away. She didn't try to fight back.

I would just like to, That allows people to harm me.

Everything was blurred. I threw my bike and I yelled, and loaded with a force I didn't know That . Somehow I fought it.

I went back a few steps and I began to sob you, for Lucy , but really for me. I'd lived My Life , block All , and it was this moment of realization about what had happened.

Ishbel with Lucy , I made it my mission to get them to safety, because I knew how life was without security.

a part of the track, something Changed - this power, and this self-worth That came with this Dog . I was just different. I was no longer a victim. I thought, "How can I protect myself at this Dog so much, if I had failed to protect myself?"

I knew I had to start to love myself, and I didn't know how, but I copied the way I looked after Lucy . Make sure That she was safe, she was protected, they ate Good Food . And finally, it was only to be a kind of automatic for me, so.

Lucy was the First Time I ever experienced Unconditional Love . It was a transformative.

How could I protect myself, this Dog so much, if I had failed to protect myself? I promised Lucy I would help All The Other Lucy 's in The World - All your friends.

she also blogs on world bike girl. com and ishbelholmes. com

relationships, sexual violence, iran, long reads, dogs, women

Source of news: bbc.com