The iWoman Report: A woman skateboards across America, Survivor of Sexual Assault is denied compensation, and Bindi Irwin opens up about endometriosis

First Woman to Skateboard Across America Finishes Historic Journey in Virginia Beach

After 118 days, thousands of miles, and countless falls, Brooke Johnson rolled into Virginia Beach on Friday, becoming the first woman to skateboard across the United States.

Johnson’s cross-country trek had a deeper meaning that went beyond setting a record. She dedicated the journey to her late stepfather, who died after a spinal cord injury. In his honor, she partnered with the nonprofit Wings for Life and raised more than $50,000 for spinal cord research.

Johnson recalls promising her stepdad that she would set a world record in his name before he died, and now this accomplishment not only means something special to Johnson and her stepdad, but it also is bringing other families closer to answers with her $50,000 donation to spinal cord research.

Hundreds welcomed Johnson at the boardwalk, with dozens skating alongside her for the last five miles. Just as she began her trip in California, Johnson ended it with a symbolic plunge in the ocean, dunking her skateboard into the Atlantic waves.

The ride, she admitted, tested her endurance in every way. Dedicating ⅓ of your year and thousands of miles on a skateboard is not an easy task. While it was by no means easy, it showed Johnson you are capable of things you think are scary. You just have to get up and keep going.

Her journey stretched beyond the physical journey across the country, it became a message of resilience, hope, and awareness. Johnson said she wants her ride to inspire others to chase challenges they never thought possible, while also sparking more attention and funding for spinal cord research.

For Johnson, the finish line was a tribute, a record, and a beginning. She carried a necklace and her stepfather’s memory with her along the trip, holding him and her promise to him close to her heart.

---

Sexual Assault Survivor Denied Compensation After Attack on UK-Bound Flight

A 24-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted on a Qatar Airways flight bound for London Gatwick is speaking out after being denied compensation under the government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS).

Kelly (whose name has been changed for legal reasons) was asleep under a blanket on the overnight flight from Doha last September when she was woken by the man seated next to her, sexually assaulting her. She was startled to find his hands were down her pants and told him to stop before running to the bathroom to tell the flight attendant. 

The man, 66-year-old Momade Jussab, was arrested upon landing in Gatwick and later convicted of sexual assault by penetration and two further counts of sexual assault. He is now serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence.

While the conviction brought some relief, Kelly says the trauma has been overwhelming and continues to affect her daily life. Her thoughts are often consumed by the memory, making every day a struggle to get through.

Kelly applied for compensation to help cover the cost of therapy, but her claim was rejected. Under the current rules, CICS only covers offences that occur in a “relevant place,” which includes British-registered aircraft but not foreign-registered ones. Because the assault took place on a Qatari-registered plane, Kelly was deemed ineligible even though UK courts prosecuted the case. Her lawyers argue the decision is “irrational,” pointing to a glaring loophole in the law. 

Kelly’s fight for recognition and mental health assistance is part of a much larger, systemic issue. Women have historically faced disbelief and dismissal when reporting sexual assault and despite progress, the justice system is still failing many survivors.

In England and Wales, it is estimated that nearly one in three women will experience sexual assault or abuse in their lifetime. Yet conviction rates remain strikingly low. According to Crown Prosecution Service data, in the year ending September 2023, only 2.4% of recorded rapes resulted in a charge.

Survivors also face significant barriers in accessing justice and support. Reports have shown that cases often collapse due to lengthy delays, digital privacy demands placed on victims, or assumptions about credibility. Women’s rights groups argue that this creates a chilling effect, discouraging survivors from even coming forward.

Even when convictions are secured, as in Kelly’s case, survivors often find that systems designed to support victims fall short. The compensation loophole she encountered highlights how the law has not fully caught up to protect people in every scenario even when courts recognize the crime and prosecute it.

Kelly’s legal team says the government must urgently update the CICS scheme so that victims of crimes on foreign-registered aircraft bound for the UK are not left without support. Campaigners see it as part of a broader need to reform the way institutions respond to sexual violence, ensuring that victims are believed, protected, and compensated fairly.

For Kelly, the issue is deeply personal. Her requests amount to the bare minimum, asking to be heard and properly supported in order to live a life where she is not continually traumatized in addition to worrying about how she is going to afford the proper mental health care she needs.

She hopes speaking out will not only help change the system but also empower others to do the same.

---

Bindi Irwin Opens Up About Healing Journey After Years of Endometriosis Pain

After more than a decade of debilitating pain, surgeries, and unanswered questions, Bindi Irwin says she is finally beginning to heal.

The 27-year-old conservationist, TV personality, and daughter of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, shared in a candid Instagram post that she is slowly gaining her strength back after living with endometriosis for 13 years.

“Thirteen years of fighting for answers. Fifty-one endometriosis lesions, a chocolate cyst, and my appendix were all removed across two surgeries,” Irwin wrote. She also revealed doctors treated a hernia she developed while giving birth to her daughter in 2021.

Endometriosis is a chronic and often misunderstood condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. Affecting an estimated one in 10 women, it can cause severe pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue, and sometimes infertility. Despite how common it is, endometriosis has long been underdiagnosed, with women frequently reporting that their symptoms are dismissed as “normal” period pain.

Irwin described how this stigma shaped her own journey, feeling like she just had to suck it up and get through the pain as that is just part of being a woman. In her Instagram post she called for more open discussions about women’s health in order to see real change on a global scale. 

Her openness comes after years of struggling in silence. In a 2023 interview, she recalled being told repeatedly that her pain was “all in her head” or something that could be solved with rest and tea. It’s like medical gaslighting, something most women are all too familiar with.

For Irwin, multiple surgeries finally brought answers and some relief. A 2022 laparoscopy revealed 37 lesions and a cyst on her ovary, which doctors removed. But her health struggles continued into this year. In May, she was forced to miss a gala honoring her father when her appendix ruptured, requiring emergency surgery.

Now, Irwin says she is focused on recovery and reclaiming her life after years of pain. By sharing her journey publicly, Irwin hopes to raise awareness about a condition that has left so many women feeling dismissed and isolated. Her story reflects a wider push by advocates and medical experts to break the silence around endometriosis and ensure women’s pain is taken seriously.