»Sir Bradley Wiggins feels “liberated” after disclosing his coach sexually molested him«
Sir Bradley Wiggins, an Olympic cyclist, stated he feels “liberated” after disclosing he was sexually molested by his coach between the ages of 13 and 16.
While supporting an NSPCC initiative to assist identify child sexual abuse victims, the Tour de France champion courageously discussed being groomed, abandoning riding, and why he cannot erase his past.
The 42-year-old five-time Olympic gold medalist accomplished his life’s goal in 2012 by becoming the first British rider to win the Tour de France.
However, despite the pressure to replicate his success and an injury that diminished his objectives, Wiggins realized that cycling had served as an escape after he was sexually abused as a youngster by his coach.
Sir Bradley Wiggins, an Olympic cyclist, says he feels “liberated” after admitting he was sexually molested by his coach between the ages of 13 and 16.
Wiggins told Men’s Health UK magazine, “When I was about 13 years old, a coach groomed me, and I never fully accepted that.”
After Wiggins revealed he was groomed in an interview with former Labour spin doctor and Men’s Health columnist Alastair Campbell last year, he began to undergo a transformation.
The sportsman told the Express, “I feel liberated…which is a wonderful sensation.”
As the face of a new NSPCC campaign to help people recognize the signs of child abuse, the father of three has decided to speak out more about his experience with grooming.
Listen Up, Speak Up encourages adults to take a 10-minute online lesson to learn how and when to raise the alarm if they suspect a youngster is in danger.
It follows a 14 percent spike in adult calls to the charity’s helpline over sexual abuse concerns.
Wiggins spent a significant portion of his life attempting to comprehend his connection with his father, Australian cyclist Gary Wiggins, who abandoned the family when Bradley was a child and died in a fight in 2008.
Wiggins confessed, “If someone had told me after I stopped riding that within a few years this is what I would be doing instead of game shows and television, I would not have believed it.”
It’s funny how things turn out, and much of it depends on where you are in life. This is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done because the topic is so humbling and tragic for myself and so many others.
Wiggins responded, “No, I am my own therapist; no one knows what goes on inside my head,” when asked if he has received counseling to treat his trauma.
“I’m not quite there yet, but I’m certainly open to it.
The precise circumstances of what Wiggins faced are unknown because, like many trauma victims, he ‘blocked it from his mind.’
It has to do with memory, he explained. “It is being released slowly. I cannot count the number of times this has occurred to me. I can only recall fragments of it.
A photograph of Bradley Wiggins as a child. Taken from Bradley Wiggins’s book, “In Pursuit of Glory”
Last year, Wiggins was surprised to learn that one of his former trainers, Sean Bannister, had told a newspaper that Wiggins had “always had doubts” about another trainer.
Wiggins stated he had no memory of having asked an adult for assistance prior to that time.
“That was more difficult to bear than coming forward about [the abuse],” he continued, “which I had attempted to do.” I was unaware that I had.
After Wiggins found cycling at age 12, the abuse began. Having seen Chris Boardman win the individual gold medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, he was encouraged to follow in his footsteps.
Sir Bradley Wiggins (left) with his son Ben Wiggins on the opening day of the HSBC UK National Track Championships at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport.
Gary Wiggins, a six- and seven-day racer, was his absent father throughout his boyhood. In 2008, he died of head injuries believed to have been caused by violence after leaving a party in his native Australia.
Wiggins revealed his abuse to the world for the first time in an interview with Men’s Health UK magazine: ‘I was groomed by a coach when I was around 13 years old, and I never completely accepted it.’
The National
The NSPCC is the main UK organisation aiming to eliminate child maltreatment.
If an adult is concerned about a child, they can contact NSPCC practitioners at 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk.
When asked if he was sexually pursued, Wiggins responded, “Yes.” All of this affected me as an adult… It was buried. My stepfather used to call me a f****t for wearing Lycra and other things, so I didn’t believe I could tell him.
I was such an introvert…
I simply desired to escape the atmosphere. I grew so introverted. In many respects, I was an odd adolescent, and I believe my motivation to ride a motorcycle sprang from adversity.
In his 2008 book, In Pursuit of Glory, Wiggins described how his mother’s new partner Brendan became his “quasi-stepfather” when he was a teen and was “completely supportive.”
Wiggins has already discussed his sadness and his rough background.
He stated that he spent a significant portion of his life attempting to comprehend his relationship with his father, who abandoned the family when Wiggins was a child.
However, the athlete believes that he would not have reached his extraordinary accomplishment if he had a joyful, secure upbringing.
He stated, “I wouldn’t change a thing.” Important is what you do next if these things happen to you. And as great of a legacy as I have left in cycling, what I accomplish over the next 20 years will be just as significant.’
»Sir Bradley Wiggins feels “liberated” after disclosing his coach sexually molested him«