Pedal to Victory: A Race for Respect

My PE Teacher Mocked Me, So I Challenged Him to a Race! A decade ago,

I had a congenital heart defect found his stride—not in the gym, but on the road.

I was never the sporty type; football was a no-go. I was that skinny, clumsy kid who gasped

on the soccer field while the PE teacher snickered. He loved fostering a jock culture,

belittling those like my friend who fumbled a trampoline jump and cracked his head.

Yet, in the face of relentless taunts, I discovered my secret weapon: endurance

cycling. On a pivotal sports day, a challenge arose. The PE teacher announced

a ride up a local mountain, a climb I knew by heart. Weighing in at a