From Rags To Records

While on the cusp of cycling stardom as a young man, Celso Fonseca hit on hard times and ended up homeless on the streets of Cardiff. This is the story of his amazing comeback as an ultra distance record-breaker

- Charlie Graham-Dixon

The steady stream of interviews, photoshoots and media commitments that have dominated Celso Fonseca’s life of late have taken some adjusting to. The 37-year-old, who is originally from Algueirão-Mem Martins in Portugal, spent six months homeless on the streets of Cardiff, then lived in a hostel for two years — all the while suffering from mental health diffculties including an ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The recent attention has been almost overwhelming. “It’s quite shocking,” he laughs. “I love to ride, but the media side — not so much.”

Fonseca’s story is heartbreaking but also awe-inspiring and uplifting — there is interest in turning it into a documentary film. How did the former soldier fromPortugal become homeless in the UK, then break distance records on the track?

“I think I was born to be a cyclist,” he says, “although where I grew up, no one had bicycles, so my first taste of sport was running for my local sports club. By age 12, I had a semiprofessional contract.”

Enduring abuse and mistreatment during childhood, Fonseca took to sport as an escape route.

“Unfortunately, my childhood, if you can call it that, was horrific. By age five I wanted to kill myself. Sport was my therapy. Eventually I got a bike, then joined the army for national service.”