Hi! My name is Margot Heltzel and it is a dream come true to be writing this post and cycling for Pedal the Pacific this summer. I first learned about Pedal the Pacific when I was a junior in high school when Addison Simons, a former high school cross-county teammate, announced that she would be riding for the 2022 team. I was so shocked - I had never heard anyone speak on the subject of sex trafficking outside of my home prior. Here, Addison was not only speaking on the matter, but doing something about it. After spending a few minutes reading the Pedal the Pacific website that day, I knew without a doubt that when I was old enough to ride, I would apply.
I knew without a doubt that when I was old enough to ride, I would apply.
Growing up, even from a young age, my mom often shared cases of missing persons and sex trafficking survivor stories with me and my sisters. She wanted us to be vigilant and aware of the reality that targets children everywhere. As I grew older, so did my understanding of how widespread and devastating trafficking is, especially within the United States. In 2024, the NCMEC reported that about 1 in 7 missing children cases were likely victims of child sex trafficking. That number only reflects children, while the full scope of victims across all ages is staggering. Over the course of these years of learning, and still now, I could not understand how this system could persist at such a large scale, with such little conversation.
In my 8th grade English class, we were tasked with an end-of-year “passion project” where each student researched and presented on a topic they cared about. For my project, I chose human trafficking, covering both sex and labor trafficking, and explaining how to recognize warning signs and potential victims. At the presentation fair, where family and friends listened to each student, I remember some parents and students being caught off guard by my topic. Their shock most often came from a lack of knowledge about the scope and gravity of the issue. Many parents and students were unfamiliar with a problem that was frequently discussed in my household.
Over the last year or more of my educational journey regarding sex trafficking, I have been particularly concerned with the link between sex trafficking and pornography. The multi-billion-dollar pornography industry fuels the profitability of sex trafficking in several ways. Much of the pornographic content on the internet is filmed by traffickers who exploit women, men, and children for explicit content. With just a simple search, people can access this content, often without realizing their participation in the exploitation industry. The association between frequent pornography consumption and eventual purchase of sex has also been studied. People who purchase sex may knowingly or unknowingly be directly exploiting victims of sex trafficking, who have been coerced or forced into this form of sexual exploitation. The normalization of pornography in our society enables this system to proliferate and harm millions.
Addison opened the door to the world of Pedal the Pacific for me, an opportunity to learn and break down prior misconceptions I had on sex trafficking, as well as take action to share the issue with the people in my life in a meaningful way. Seeing Chloe Aguilar, another cross-county teammate, riding for the 2024 team reaffirmed this desire of mine to ride for Pedal the Pacific one day. Her passion for the movement was a reminder that the movement needs to continue each year, and each rider’s unique callings to the mission plays an important role in keeping the conversation on sex trafficking going. Through talking with my teammates, and reading alumni blog posts, it is clear that each rider has their own specific pull and focus on the issue of sex trafficking. The multifaceted nature of sex trafficking requires each of us with our individual professions, passions, and skills to target and advocate for the areas of the issue that we are called to. Most importantly, it means learning from survivors and professionals who work in the anti-trafficking space on who the system really targets, what cracks exist that allow the system to continue, and what makes a good advocate. I now set out to learn more and grow as an advocate each day before the ride, this summer, and every day after.
I now set out to learn more and grow as an advocate each day before the ride, this summer, and every day after.
Sources:
https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/trafficking
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01843-3
https://theexodusroad.com/porn-and-human-trafficking-the-facts-you-need-to-know/
