Run Against Violence

In April 2022, Sandy Suckling set out to run 1,100km from Broken Hill to Melbourne to raise funds for and awareness of the Run Against Violence. In this episode, Sandy shares her experience of escaping from family violence, what she’s learnt about the power of conversation and why she describes running as therapy. Also in this episode: meet Riana and Mel from SWAT (Sprinting, Walking and Trash Tal...

So registrations for the 2022 Run Against Violence Virtual Challenge are open and pouring in. Teams are being registered. People are looking for teams and teams are looking for people. So let’s chat to 3 people about how they rally the troops. In this episode, you’ll meet Sammy Bruderer, Mark Grima and Natalie Bartolo and hear as they share their experience with the Virtual Challenge, how they fin...

Welcome to the first episode of the Run Against Violence for 2022. In this episode, you’ll hear from Run Against Violence co-founders Kirrily Dear and Brad Smithers. In 2014, Kirrily set out to run 860km over 12 days through regional New South Wales. Kirrily and Brad share how that run changed the course of their lives. Also in this episode: Kirrily and Brad share what’s new for the RAV Virtual Ch...

The party that was the 2021 Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge is over. Now the crowds have left, the Aussie Runner Podcast team pulls up a chair with RAV co-founders Kirrily Dear & Brad Smithers, and chat about all that happened during this year’s event. During the 19 days of the event, RAV participants walked and ran the equivalent of 11.4 times around the Earth. But by far the most...

Welcome to the finish line episode for the 2021 Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge. There are some very strong stereotypes and myths that are informing people’s opinions on family violence in indigenous communities.   RAV co-founder Kirrily Dear and Indigenous community worker, mediator, and educator Melissa Stubbings continue their conversation to clear away the stereotypes as to wh...

Fifty percent of children in out-of-home care in Australia are Aboriginal. Aboriginal women are 35 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence than non-Aboriginal women.   Ask a non-Aboriginal Australian why family violence rates are so high in Indigenous communities, and you’ll hear comments like… Violence has always been part of their culture You can’t fix people that won’t fi...

In 2014, Travis Ireland decided he wanted to run a marathon. Giving himself a 12-month preparation, Travis went in search of a training program that would keep him motivated and on track for the whole year. When he couldn’t find a solution, Travis developed his own and invited 50 friends to join him for a virtual run around Australia. ALSO IN THIS EPISODE Pat Connell walks us up her local hill and...

The dots only ever connect looking backward.  It was a long period after leaving her abusive ex-husband and seeking counselling that Anna was finally able to confidently name what she had lived through.  Gaslighting is a subtle and insidious form of emotional abuse that can leave the victim believing they are worthless and going insane.  Occasionally Anna would chat with girlfriends...

Matt is a lawyer practicing in the field of child protection and adoption law.  In this episode, Matt gives us the behind-the-scenes view of the extreme highs and lows of his chosen path. We learn about the processes within our court system that are designed to protect children and Matt shares the stories of the families he assists. “One of the messages that I would like to share today is a s...

Margie Lewis has dedicated her professional and personal life to helping others within her community. In this interview, Margie helps us all be that bit braver and explores the realities of life for children who live within family violence. Children exposed to violence will often exhibit challenging behaviours and become labeled with psychological disorders, or criminal records, that can define th...

Kylie Brown is one of the instigators of Run Against Violence in Port Macquarie, NSW. Kylie confesses that it’s not her ‘love’ for running that brings her back to the RAV Challenge each year, it’s the power of the conversation that unfolds. Shortly after marrying at 25 years old, Kylie and her husband took custody of Kylie’s three stepsisters and raised them as their own. Kylie’s crazy large heart...

In 2017, Dani was interstate visiting a friend when she received a phone call from the police. Six detectives had arrived at her house that morning and arrested her controlling, abusive ex-husband. In this episode, Dani publicly shares her story for the first time. She details her life before that day, her shock and bewilderment of what she learned from the police and her steps since to recover he...

Belinda Seaman spied a Facebook advertisement for the inaugural 2017 Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge, bounced the idea around her running group and days later had two teams of 10 ready to participate. “We put some articles in the local paper and contacted the radio station to let people know what we were doing. As a result of that, I had friends that I had known for years, stop and cha...

Run Against Violence co-founders, Brad Smithers and Kirrily Dear woke up at around 4:30 am on a stinking-hot November morning in the town of Manila, NSW. Their simple plan for the day was to run an ‘easy marathon’ into Tamworth and attend the White Ribbon Cup football match. But those simple plans were about to change the course of their lives forever. ------ Thanks to Damo and Jez from the Aussie...