The party is over. Now that the Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge has finished for another year, we look back and reflect on the 2022 challenge and remember why it’s important to continue shining a light on domestic and family violence in our communities. In this episode: meet Colleen from the Tomaree Road Runners in our Team Spotlight, hear return guests Sammy, Mark and Natalie share what they loved and learnt during the 2022 Virtual Challenge, and listen as the co-founder...

The first Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge was held in 2017. 5 years on, we speak with 3 of our original Team Captains, Margie, Ben and Belinda about why they are still passionately involved with the Run Against Violence and how conversations in their community have changed over that time. In this episode: meet Mayor Sharon Cadwallader from Ballina Shire Council, and meet Melanie from the Newcastle Anglican Walk for Change and Peter Stuart, the Anglican Bishop of Newcastle,...

The Katherine Women’s Legal Service (KWILS) is a not-for-profit community legal centre based in Katherine in the Northern Territory that provides free legal services in the Katherine region. In fact, they cover an area the size of Victoria & Tasmania combined! Siobhan Mackay is the CEO of KWILS and has a unique insight into the challenges faced by domestic and family violence victims, and the support services available to them, in remote and regional communities (and our First Nations...

Run Against Violence partners with the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) to help ensure that every teenager in Australia has the opportunity to learn about what healthy relationships look like for them. Over the last 2 years, the RAV has donated $200,000 to NAPCAN to enhance and expand its Love Bites program (and 100% of funds raised in 2022 will be donated too). Madelene McGrath is the National Stakeholder Manager and NAPCAN and Dr Brenda Dobia is an...

The co-founders of Run Against Violence, Kirrily Dear and Brad Smithers, return today to lift the lid and take you behind the scenes of the Run Against Violence. Together they share the financial report for the 2020 - 2021 Financial Year. In this episode: hear Kirrily outline the history of the partnership between the Run Against Violence and the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) and how RAV has supported their Love Bites program over the last 2...

How do we change our way of life, one conversation at a time? Today we’re joined by two women - Kathy Kelly and Jane Caro - who have, in their own ways, played a pivotal role in changing the culture in our community in different ways. Kathy Kelly is mum to Thomas and Stuart Kelly and in 2012 received that phone call every parent dreads. Thomas had been killed after an unprovoked and fatal attack at Sydney's Kings Cross. Four years later their younger son, Stuart, took his own life. Both boys...

Pat Farmer is a multiple world record holder for endurance running. He has run the length of India and Vietnam, through the Middle East, across Australia, around Australia and across America a couple of times. And, wait for it, from the North Pole to the South Pole. In this episode, he helps us celebrate the start of the 2022 Run Against Violence today. Pat shares his advice on how to achieve your goal for the Challenge and what to focus on when times get tough. In this episode: get an...

The theme of this year’s RAV Virtual Challenge is today’s conversation is tomorrow’s way of life. But how do the conversations we have today shape our community and our lives? We explore this question in this episode. You’ll hear from: Dani who, 12 months ago, shared her story of being a survivor of domestic and family violence for the first time publicly on the Run Against Violence. She returns to share the impact that telling her story has had on her life and the conversations she’s had...

Sue and Lloyd Clarke became passionate and vocal advocates for the criminalisation of coercive control after their daughter Hannah and Hannah’s 3 children Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey were murdered by Hannah’s estranged husband in February 2020 in a case that shocked and galvanised the nation. Hannah had been a victim of coercive control for many years. Coercive control is a phrase we all recognise but many of us don’t understand what it is. In this episode, Sue and Lloyd explain what coercive...

Do conversations have the power to create real change to our way of life? Are they the key to ending domestic and family violence within our community? In this special episode, Jen Brown, the host of the 2022 RAV podcast shares her thoughts and reflects on what she’s learnt from the Run Against Violence community about the power of conversations. Also in this episode: Meet Tammy from Not Fast Just Furious in our Team Spotlight, a sneak peek of an upcoming episode featuring a popular...

How do we create real change in our community around family and domestic violence? That’s what we explore in this episode of the Run Against Violence where you’ll meet the dynamic duo of Robyn Harmon and David Harmon. Robyn is a school teacher, Assistant Principal and facilitator of the Love Bites program that Run Against Violence proudly supports. David has led the charge via the Rotary Club in Ballina to change the culture around family and domestic violence in their local community. Also...

The 2022 Run Against Violence Virtual Challenge is fast approaching. So in this episode, we explore how to not only survive but thrive during the challenge with our guests; run coach Lyndal Maloney from Serotonin Running, busy mum and business owner Tara Edwards and the Silver category age record holder, Judith Dear who is a spritely 79 years of age. Also in this episode, you'll meet: Dean from Mount Gambier who shares details of the park run takeover planned for Saturday 30 July, Karen...

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 Talking) in our Team Spotlight, and get a sneak peek of next week’s episode. You can support...

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 find and organise their teams and how they keep themselves and their teams connected and motivated...

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 Challenge in 2022, our plans for season 2 of the podcast in 2022, meet Jo from Real Girls...

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 powerful steps taken were those that progressed our collective learning on how to prevent...

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 why Aboriginal women and children continue to be over-represented in family violence...

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 fix themselves Yeah, it’s a shocking situation but it’s got nothing to do with me This 2-part...

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 shares why she participates in the Virtual Challenge each year 1,2,3,4…1,2,3,4…Rachel...

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 about things that were happening in her relationship. The responses of those friends, and what Anna learned...

Matt Van Arkel 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 story of resilience. There certainly are children and families who have faced a lot of...

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 their path for life. “Labels are for jars, not for people. [These children] are given a...

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, her love for her family and community, is a guiding light to us all. LISTEN ON Spotify -...

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 her physical, mental and emotional health.  >>>> Listen On Spotify -...