Brazilian cyclist on world tour gets Turkish surprise
Turkish officials come to Larissa Cantrell's aid during snowy conditions in Konya province
KONYA, Turkey
A Brazilian woman on a mission to cycle around the world received a surprise helping hand at a difficult point of her journey through Turkey.
Larissa Cantrelli, who started her remarkable trip from her home country in 2019, faced some challenging moments as she headed from Turkey's historical Cappadocia region to the central Konya province, with temperatures plummeting below freezing point.
As luck would have it, the 29-year-old was spotted on a snowy highway by Adil Bayindir, the mayor of Konya's Beysehir district.
Bayindir asked officials to help Cantrelli, who was then quickly brought to Beysehir for the night.
As a token of appreciation, the cyclist gifted the mayor a painting she made during her travels around the globe.
"The mayor saw me at one of the toughest points of my trip, when I needed it the most. He saved me from a difficult situation and graciously hosted me here," said Cantrelli.
She said one of her aims for her exceptional journey is to show just how much women can accomplish on their own.
"I would like to thank Adil Bayindir and Mustafa Buyukkafali, the head of the local cycling community. They came to me like angels," said the traveler.
* Writing by Seda Sevencan
