sportskeeda
Olympic cycling legend Sir Bradley Wiggins showcased his confidence alongside his children at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
In a rare appearance, Isabella and Ben Wiggins proudly joined their famous father on the red carpet last night, marking a significant moment after experiencing one of the most difficult years of his life.
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The 44-year-old had the unwavering support of his adult children in light of his recent disclosures regarding his battles with homelessness and bankruptcy.
This year has brought numerous challenges for the family, particularly following ex-wife Cath’s sale of their family home, where she still lives with their son and daughter.
Despite the difficulties, Cath and the children have remained steadfast supporters of Sir Wiggo during his toughest moments.
His ex-wife even offered him a place to stay when he had nowhere to go, and he credits his son Ben, a professional cyclist, as a vital factor in his recovery during a particularly dark time last year.
With his iconic mop-top hairstyle and distinct persona, Bradley gained international fame after becoming the first British winner of the Tour de France and clinching Olympic gold medals within a single week in 2012.
That same year, he was awarded the title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year and was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours list.
These successes enabled him to accumulate a considerable multimillion-pound fortune, but beneath the glossy surface lay an individual struggling with deep issues known only to those closest to him.
It wasn’t until 2022 that he began to open up about the traumatic incidents from his childhood that plagued him for years, leading him to alcohol.
His father, Gary—a professional cyclist with alcoholism and drug addiction—abandoned the family when Bradley was just 18 months old, only to return to his life at the age of 19 after Bradley’s early achievements in cycling.
However, upon reconnecting, his father harshly remarked: “You’ll never be as good as your old man.”
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From the ages of 13 to 16, Bradley endured sexual abuse from his coach Stan Knight, who passed away in 2003.
Behind closed doors, it was his wife Cath and their children who witnessed his heartbreaking decline as he struggled with the pressures of his achievements and feelings of inadequacy.
At one point, he even destroyed his awards in front of Ben and Isabella, now 19 and 18, respectively, to illustrate that trophies are insignificant compared to the effort needed to earn them.
He recalled, “I destroyed my Sports Personality trophy and knighthood in front of my children and tossed them into the flower bed to make a point.
“I aimed to teach them that material accolades aren’t what we value; it’s the journey and effort that genuinely count.”
Family Struggles
Bradley’s swift ascent to athletic stardom in 2012 had a considerable impact on his children, who were forced to change schools.
Following his Tour de France victory in 2012, Isabella and Ben faced bullying in school from peers who implied their father had engaged in performance-enhancing drugs, akin to the infamous Lance Armstrong.
“That Tour victory altered everything,” Wiggins reflected. “I left home unknown and returned as the most famous person in the country for that week.
“It was tough for both me and my family. My son faced bullying at school. We had to transfer the kids to a new school.”
Sir Bradley’s Financial Woes
2017
Spear’s Magazine estimated Sir Bradley’s net worth at £13 million, placing him right behind Andy Murray and Justin Rose in Team GB’s 2016 group.
This included highly lucrative endorsement agreements with brands like Fred Perry and Skoda, the latter amounting to a seven-figure contract.
2022
Liquidators initiated a claim against him for £1 million—an assertion he contested.
A claim for £760,373 made the previous year had escalated, as administrators sought repayment on an overdrawn director’s loan, leading to an investigation of the company’s records.
In September of that year, documents indicated Sir Bradley entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) to avoid bankruptcy.
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The cyclist was declared bankrupt at Lancaster County Court on June 3.
‘Manic Episode’
Further challenges confronted the Wiggins children. In 2015, following prolonged struggles with her mental health, Cath was hospitalized for a week due to what she described as a ‘manic episode’ triggered by childhood traumas.
“It was an extremely dark time,” she recounted. “It’s dreadful—for both the individual and their family. Unless you’ve experienced it, you cannot fathom its depths.”
She was subsequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and provided with medication, which gradually helped her regain stability.
In 2016, even as Cath was recuperating, allegations emerged regarding Bradley being involved in an anti-doping investigation related to a Jiffy bag supposedly delivered to him in France in 2011.
He firmly denied the accusations, and in November 2017, the investigation was closed due to insufficient evidence indicating any banned substance was involved, yet the shadow of suspicion lingered.
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Amid these trials, Cath and the children remain firmly by Bradley’s side.
“I have complete confidence in his integrity as an athlete,” she stated, with the children expressing similar sentiments, never wavering in their belief in their father.
Homelessness & Bankruptcy
As both Cath and Bradley faced mental health crises, an additional emergency arose.
Poor financial decisions, legal costs to safeguard his reputation, and the withdrawal of sponsors led to a dramatic decline in Bradley’s wealth.
This turmoil eventually resulted in the couple’s separation in 2020, with Bradley announcing their breakup on social media without consulting Cath.
“My son actually was the one who kind of intervened and made me realize the self-destructive mode I was in,”
Bradley Wiggins
Six months later, he began a relationship with PR executive Laura Hartshorne, with whom he welcomed a daughter named Ava, now three, though they have since separated.
Earlier this year, Wiggins was declared bankrupt and found himself couch-surfing.
However, it was ex-wife Cath and their children who came to his aid, providing him with shelter in the family home so he could spend Father’s Day with the kids.
She remarked: “It’s an incredibly desperate situation for him, tragically so, which is why I’ve extended the invitation for him to stay for a while.”
It’s clear that she and their teenage children continue to offer robust support to Bradley as he seeks to pay off debts and rebuild his life.
‘Self-Destructive Mode’
Earlier this year, Wiggins openly discussed his descent into depression, his struggles with alcohol, and how Ben feared for his safety in November of last year.
In an emotional interview on The High Performance Podcast, he credited junior cycling champion Ben for intervening, saying, “There were some really extreme moments. Probably the last one was about a year ago, without going into specifics.
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“But I was in a very dark place in a very dark room for many days, and it was a hotel, and my son actually was the one who kind of intervened and made me realize the self-destructive mode I was in.
“There were many factors that contributed to it.”
As he starts to confront his trauma and its effects on his life, he expresses newfound pride in who he is becoming.
He noted, “I’m proud of who I’m becoming. I believe I’m a good father to my kids.”
While he has previously linked his struggles to success in cycling, he now believes that cycling “saved his life” and wouldn’t change his past.
He remarked, “It saved my life in more ways than one. I’m not sure where I would be today without it. Cycling has given me everything.
“I wouldn’t change anything. Every moment of my journey has helped shape who I am. I trust my best years are still to come.”
And certainly, Ben, aspiring to emulate his father’s cycling feats, and Isabella will be by his side as he embarks on the journey of rebuilding his life.
