Cyclist to take human trafficking route to raise awareness of modern slavery

A cyclist is set to break a world record by retracing a documented human trafficking route to raise awareness of modern slavery.

Gordon Miller, from London, will cycle approximately 2,900 km, starting in Cádiz, southern Spain, on Friday October 1, and ending in London on October 18, Anti-Slavery Day.

Part of the journey will see him attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled by an electric bike in a week, on an Orbea Gain electric bike, which starts in Cádiz and ends in Mallabia, in the Basque Country, on October 7. .

Mr Miller told the PA news agency that his reading about modern slavery had left him “offended”, thinking: “What can I do about this?

“I want to take on a Guinness World Record challenge because of the profile it gives the activity and the awareness it helps to raise,” he added.

“(This route) was chosen because it is a route recognized by anti-slavery and anti-trafficking charities.

“I'm not saying this is the exact route people will follow, because no one really knows it, but the victims themselves, because some were blindfolded or thrown into the back of a cart, so they have no idea.

“It is very likely that this type of route is the one used by people smuggling. »

Women are often forced into prostitution

Gordon Miller

“People are trafficked from Africa, across the Strait of Gibraltar, from Africa to Spain, and transported on dinghies or speedboats to be handed over.

“Women are often forced into prostitution. If they are men, they are often forced to work on construction sites, in illegal activities or threatened with losing their lives or that of their families.

Mr Miller completed a series of epic challenges to raise awareness of modern slavery, including spelling out the words 'end modern slavery' to set a Guinness World Record for 'largest GPS drawing on a bicycle (individual) » in October 2020.

The name of its next cycle – El Gordo – has a special connection, because the lottery in Spain is called El Gordo, which translates to “big”.

The cycling challenges support the development of Freewheel by Ride For Freedom, a community interest company set up by Mr Miller which enables survivors of modern slavery to cycle, in the hope that survivors will gain independence and mobility.

“Several survivors who are in the invisible shelters have said they would like to take cycling training and road skills awareness training,” Mr Miller said.

“We gave them a bike, a lock, a helmet, lights, everything you need to be safe on the road.

“Once we have proven this model, and we want to demonstrate that cycling helps them improve their mental and physical health, their well-being, their mobility and their independence, the ambition is to roll out this program across the United Kingdom, in other cities.

“I am already in discussions with other charities to get involved with them, to highlight their survivors so that we can roll out the action across the country.”

Mr Miller has been training with a coach from Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy for the past six months as part of their training programme.

Ed Clancy, who supported Mr Miller's challenge, won three consecutive Olympic team pursuit titles in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

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