the challenge of our LIFEtime
For 19 days in 2017, solo ultramarathon runner, Kirrily Dear, ran 1300km from Broken Hill to Sydney to give a voice to the often silent victims of family violence.
Family and domestic violence is increasingly being recognised as the social challenge of our time. Public conversation around the issue is building; however, we often overlook the children - those who hear and see the violence or are directly targeted. Too often, these children don’t have the chance to tell their own story. In 2017 we asked the nation to stop and listen to these young people.
why broken hill to sydney?
The route links more than 25 Australian communities, from remote to metropolitan, showing that family violence impacts us all.
The 1300kms covered equates to 1.7 million steps. That's the estimated number of Australians who experienced physical abuse before the age of 15.
Sourced from Appendix 9 Australian Human Rights Commission 2015, Children’s Rights Report 2015, based on ABS Personal Safety Survey 2012 data.
The 1st Virtual Challenge
The first RAV Virtual Team Challenge was held in conjunction with the 2017 Steps Together ultramarathon. Teams of up to 10 people raced Kirrily across the course, virtually.
The RAV Virtual Team Challenge has grown to be the largest and longest virtual team challenge in the world. Each year, 1000s of walkers and runners from around the globe take steps together for a single purpose - to break the silence that surrounds family violence.
Listen, learn and talk to end family violence
After our 2017 Broken Hill to Sydney Virtual Challenge, 59% of participants surveyed said they had more conversations. 58% said they shared more stories and articles about family violence prevention. All those small steps shatter the silence for people who experience family violence.
The RAV Virtual Team Challenge is more than just a run. It is a tribe of people who are living proof that we can build healthy, inclusive and respectful communities where family violence no longer has a role.
respectful relationship education
Run Against Violence partners with 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.
Funds raised through the RAV Virtual Team Challenge are invested in training facilitators for the Love Bites program and other community-focused projects throughout Australia.