Help Trhas Get Back On Her Bike

£8.55k of £10k

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Meet Trhas: One of Ethiopia's elite female cyclists winning both the individual and team time trials at the African Continental Championships in 2019. In June 2023 she won the National Championship and was given a contract with Team Soltec last year but never had the opportunity to race:https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/trhas-teklehaimanot-tesfay https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/breaking-barriers-16-women-leading-the-way-for-africans-in-pro-cycling/

Sadly for Trhas, like a lot of people in Ethiopia, she was not safe and last year had to claim asylum in the UK and was not able to join a race for lack of a bike. Until she has a decision on her UK asylum claim she cannot return to international competitive cycling or join the Refugee Team at World Championships in Switzerland in September. But Trhas is our community member and West London Welcome is not prepared to see her dreams dashed.

Thanks to our initial campaign, we have sourced her a bicycle, helmet and shoes and she is now a member of British Cycling and begun racing in the UK. We are using any additional funds received to pay her registration fees and travel costs (hotels and train fares) to races and make sure she gets access to decent, nutritious food and supplements. (Banned from working and claiming benefits, the Home Office give just £8.86/week to people seeking asylum, so she cannot afford to buy these herself). You can watch a film we made about her story by clicking the link below. Jump to 4:05.

We are also looking to fund her indoor training and racing online. We are working closely with our friends at Team Africa Rising, a non-profit dedicated to the development and promotion of African athletes, who are booking all the races and managing her cycling career.

That's where you come in. Can you pitch in to realise her dream and together we can help her to win big. She has already won her first race on UK soil at London's Crit in June. Let's do this and one day you may find yourself cheering for her at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the World Championships, or even the Olympics!

Donations

West London Welcome

London | Community Support & Development

Refugee and Migrant community centre in West London offering creative and practical classes, casework and social cohesion.

What your gift could provide

£100

Buys a hotel room for races outside of London

£50

Buys supplements and gels

£30

Helps us to top up her supermarket card

Help Trhas Get Back On Her Bike

West London Welcome

London | Community Support & Development

Refugee and Migrant community centre in West London offering creative and practical classes, casework and social cohesion.