This week, we’re celebrating the inspiring story of Farrah Herbert, 51, from North London. She said...
Pedalling through the park, London whizzed past me.
Meeting up with my cycling club, LDN Riders, every week, I organised group rides across the city for the LGBTQ+ community.
Finally, I’d found somewhere I belonged after years of feeling lost.
I’d always known that I was born into the wrong body.
At age five, my birthday wish was to be a girl.
Yet I didn’t tell anyone how I was feeling deep down.
So, I kept my feelings secret for years.
I went on to be happily married and have two children, Hannah, 21, and Ollie, 22.
Although hiding my true self took a toll on my mental health, I found one thing that helped me – sport.
From open water swimming to cycling, getting active kept me going.
But when I hit rock bottom, aged 40, I knew I needed to be the real me.
I realised I needed to be the real me
So, I bravely kickstarted my transitioning journey.
There were a lot of mixed emotions, especially as my marriage broke down, but we have remained close friends to this day.
However, I struggled to find a welcoming space to do sports as a trans-woman.
I was petrified of changing rooms, fearing people judging me – while I never received any nasty comments, I was paranoid that I didn’t fit in.
But joining a local triathlon club for the LGBTQ+ community and learning about the LDN riders from some of the members six months ago, I decided to jo
