Norma Bastidas Overcame a Lifetime of Sexual Abuse to Beat a World Triathlon Record Corynne Cirilli - Coveteur
go to original November 8, 2017

Be Relentless Trailer (iEmpathize)

Ultra-marathoner (she once ran double marathons over an icy tundra in Antarctica), mother of two, and World Record breaker Norma Bastidas, 49, is an inspiring figure to those who realize how much she has achieved. But to learn not only how much she’s accomplished, but how many difficulties she has overcome to get there, makes her journey that much more awe-inspiring.

A keynote speaker at the Visionary Women “Grit, Guts & Grace” salon last month, Norma—who was kidnapped and forced into prostitution at age 18—told the 300 people gathered at the Montage Beverly Hills, “I see it as my privilege, to not live a life of nightmares, but a life of dreams.”

She began turning her life around through running and has said that she first began running at night “because I didn’t want my kids to hear my crying.” Once she started, she never stopped. In 2014, Norma broke the world triathlon record for longest route when, over 65 days, she ran, biked, and swam from Cancun, Mexico, to Washington, DC, covering a major human trafficking route. Her journey was the subject of the documentary Be Relentless.

Coveteur spoke with Bastidas about her past, her vision, and her hopes for other women struggling to overcome unimaginable obstacles.

Check it out at Coveteur

Related: Human Trafficking Survivor Jabali Smith Shares the Story of Human Resilience (WBAY)

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