Just 21, human-trafficking survivor Alyssa Beck has lived a life most cannot imagine

Alyssa Beck has love and hope on her hands. She’s not particularly fond of the tattoos, which she got in the Duval County jail along with the cross on her cheek.

“Hope was originally hate,” the 21-year-old said. “I changed it because there were people in my life who showed me hope.”

People in Beck’s young life — hateful people — once used drugs and violence to drag her into an abyss of unspeakable horrors. A victim of human trafficking by the time she was 15, Beck was twice held prisoner by men who forced her into prostitution. She was raped more times than she could count.

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Human Trafficking Survivor Shattered World Triathlon Record In Symbolic Way

The story of Norma Bastidas is one of triumph over tragedy. She is a woman whose resilience has allowed her to overcome the unthinkable misfortunes life has thrown her way. Bastidas, 49, set the world triathlon record in 2014 covering an incredible 3,762 miles. Her epic journey began in Cancun, Mexico, and ended in Washington, D.C., and took her 64 days to complete. “That was probably one of the most painful things I’ve ever done,” she told CNN in an interview. Her story is getting wide attention now because of the release of a documentary that chronicles her remarkable feat.

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