Transgender cyclist Emily Bridges was thrown into the limelight earlier this year when she was banned by the sport's governing body for competing in her first women's national event.
Bridges received death threats after after the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) banned her from competing in the National Omnium Championships in April against the likes of Laura Kenny.
The Welsh cyclist spoke about being 'relentlessly demonised' after being banned from competing at the event. However, she remains defiant and chasing the dream of representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games.
Bridges appeared on ITV Wales documentary Race to be Me , which was broadcast on Tuesday night.
The programme followed Bridges over the last 18 months as she began competing as a woman and working towards her Commonwealth Games goal in four years time.
Bridges said: "I’m still here. I’ve had all the opportunities to leave cycling, but I’ve never wanted to. It’s just part of who I am. I love Wales and it’s a dream to be in that Welsh jersey in the Commonwealth Games."
The Welsh cyclist began hormone therapy last year to lower her testosterone levels. She added: ‘I’m aware I have other traits and attributes to other female riders, but they aren’t so widely different that it makes competition unfair. A reduction of testosterone creates a fair playing field.
"This journey has been a very wild ride. I’ve had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. But I love my body now. For the first time ever I feel comfortable with who I am."
Bridges awaits British Cycling to update the guidelines in the spring to find discover if she can compete next season. However, she will have to wait until the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria to represent Wales if permitted.
Writing in a blog for ITV she added: "I was heartbroken. I’ve felt a much deeper connection to being Welsh since transitioning and losing the opportunity to represent my country really hurt.
Bridges also wrote a message to her fellow female athletes reassuring them that she also wants a level playing field for athletes
"I understand your concerns over fairness," Bridges added. "If you’re being told that biological males are coming into your sports and taking away your medals, then it’s perfectly natural to want to fight this. There seems to be an effort at the moment to portray trans women as men who want to infiltrate women's sports for personal gain.
"But, I am not a man, and I hope this documentary shows that trans women and cis women have so many similarities, be they hormonal, physical and in a sporting context, or in the way we face the same fights for much of our existence, and experience sexism in similar ways. All we as trans athletes deserve are the same opportunities, and the same level playing field as everyone else."
Double Olympic champion Katie Archibald was one of those that slammed UCI accusing the governing body of 'letting down' transgender athletes. Bridges says she has started racing again and hasn't dominated.
She added: "No one should have to go through this. But I’m still here. Despite all this, I’m still here. I somehow got through the spring with my mental health relatively intact, and somehow, despite everything, this has been the best year of my life. I’ve started racing in small scale events again, in the correct category, with amazing people. I haven’t dominated, or come close to anything like that. It’s kept cycling alive for me, that inclusive community that I wish road and track cycling was and should strive to be."
