The Story of Trhas Teklehaimanot

Many people will have seen the story of pro cyclist Trhas Teklehaimanot Tesfay who has sought Asylum in the UK to escape from conflict in her native Ethiopia.

At 22 years of age she has already won the National Road Championships title twice and competed in the African Continental Championships, where she has won two golds as a junior in the individual and team time trial.

Her story was recently featured on BBC London news which talks about her achievements and current challenges living in an asylum hotel whilst training at a pro level. Team Africa Rising have shared the video on their YouTube channel.

In the last few weeks there has been a community fundraiser to help her get a new bike so she can train and race in the UK, with the aim of participating in the women’s RideLondon pro race this month.

Recently our committee member and seasoned racer Alice Lethbridge has stepped forward to help mentor her and get her signed up to Kingston Wheelers so she can race with a British Cycling registered club.

Alice says:

“When a good friend reached out to me looking for ‘London based’ women to help Trhas I didn’t hesitate to join the team supporting her. I’d read her story a week earlier, and I can’t even begin to imagine the challenges she’s faced to get this far. Trhas’ positivity and enthusiasm is inspiring and I’m so glad I could help her get back racing. I’m excited to see where her talent and dedication takes her in coming years and honoured to have got the chance to be part of Trhas’ journey.”

It’s been a privilege to have Trhas wearing our kit in local races such as Hillingdon and Hog Hill, where she has been making good progress as she gets accustomed to the UK race scene.

You can follow updates on Trhas story on the live blog by Team Africa Rising.