Kirrily Dear will run from west to east in a bid to help end domestic violence, an issue she said connected everyone in the community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“I used to think it didn’t have anything to do with me, that I wasn’t affected by it,” she said.
“But what I’ve learned over the last few years is that I’m surrounded by people who have grown up in homes with domestic violence or have experienced intimate partner violence, and that’s both women and men.”
Ms Dear’s Run Against Violence is designed to raise the awareness of the impact domestic violence has on children.
She’ll cover 1300 kilometres over 19 days, starting from Broken Hill and finishing in Sydney.
Her primary goal is to prompt people to speak up and act.
“We want to cover every cross section of community in our state, to show that it’s not just happening in one community and it doesn’t just happen to one type of person.”
It’s not her first ultra marathon, having previously completed 860 kilometres in 2014 to raise awareness of intimate partner violence.
“I’ve spent the last nine months working on mental preparation, as well as a lot of physical training,” she said.
Canobolas Local Area Command’s domestic violence liaison officer Senior Constable Granton Smith is helping organise an event for when Ms Dear arrives in Orange.
Ms Dear will run in from Canowindra along the Cargo Road and will stop at Orange High School.
Senior Constable Smith said there would be a barbecue, live music and a documentary screening from 5.30pm
“Come out have a snag and say high to Kirrily,” Senior Constable Smith said.
Housing Plus is getting behind Ms Dear’s Run Against Domestic Violence. Community services manager Penny Dordoy said Orange had twice the state average of domestic violence issues.
“Orange is on her radar because of the safer pathways program launched locally by Housing Plus,” Ms Dordoy said.
“[The program] really opened our eyes to a need for a crisis facility in Orange which we have the majority of funding for.
“The facility will be something people haven’t seen before and could help break the cycle of domestic violence.”
Ms Dear will start her run on August 30 and will return to Orange on September 11.
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
