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Outlook: 'That would be my freedom, that would be my escape'

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19/04/2023 GMT

'That would be my freedom, that would be my escape'

BBC World Service - Outlook, 'That would be my freedom, that would be my escape'

John Büültjens' BMX bike helped free him from the scars of a traumatic childhood

Three lives transformed by speed: John Büültjens escaped a tough childhood on a BMX, Cooper Dodds soared to epic heights on skis, and Zak Moradi found solace in a fast Irish game.

Today's guests have one thing in common, their lives have been transformed by speed.

John Büültjens grew up on a Scottish housing estate with a violent, drunken father. But he started to escape his traumatic childhood when his adoptive dad bought him a BMX: an off-road bike for racing and stunts. John has jumped and flipped his way across the globe ever since. He now lives in Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood, and in 2018 he told Jo Fidgen how he ended up playing his own abusive biological father in a film about his life. 
 
Cooper Dodds has soared to epic heights ski jumping in America, inspired by his dad Tom. They've bolted down hundreds of hills at breakneck speeds to make that perfect jump and tackling a notorious jump sealed their bond. They spoke to Tom Roseingrave in 2018.
 
And we meet Kurdish refugee, Zak Moradi, who took up ancient Irish speed sport hurling and found a community thousands of miles from where he grew up. Zak's co-written a book about his story, Life Begins in Leitrim: From Kurdistan to Croke Park.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar

(Photo: John Büültjens doing a stunt on his BMX. Photo Credit: John Buultjens)

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