In a world the place each new endurance problem appears to be designed to push the bodily limits of athletes like by no means earlier than, Austin, Texas’s Summer time Willis, a survivor of sexual assault, took on an unprecedented feat throughout the Austin Marathon in February. Her aim was clear: to crawl 26.2 miles as a strong image of the power it takes to get well from trauma. Whereas her plan didn’t precisely play out by the e book, her journey to the end was extra significant than she might have imagined.
The which means behind the crawl
Willis, a mother to 2 boys, printed creator, and devoted advocate and endurance athlete, had already accomplished a number of outstanding challenges to lift consciousness—together with finishing 29 marathons in a single 12 months, and working a marathon with a mattress on her again.
Crawling the marathon was about greater than logging miles in bizarre method—it was about confronting years of silence, ache and stigma. “This crawl is essentially the most significant of all my challenges as a result of it’s my first time admitting to myself that it was okay that I wasn’t okay,” she shared with Canadian Operating. Her marathon endeavour, one thing she titled The Final Time We Crawl, was supposed to be a uncooked and bodily illustration of the trauma many survivors face. For her, the method of crawling was symbolic of the lengthy, painful journey to reclaim her life. “I discovered my power by crawling for years—by ache, by trauma, by silence.”
The marathon additionally had the purpose of forcing uncomfortable conversations. “I would like individuals to ask why—why would somebody do one thing so excessive?” Willis defined. Her aim was easy: to elevate consciousness about sexual violence and begin the dialog that so many keep away from. “The extra individuals ask, the extra we speak in regards to the actuality of sexual violence. I refuse to let this difficulty stay invisible.”
The cruel actuality of coaching
Coaching for this marathon was in contrast to something Willis had completed earlier than. Crawling for hours on finish required increase not solely her bodily and psychological power but additionally her tolerance to ache. “It’s brutal on my knees, my fingers, my again,” she stated. Regardless of the agony, Willis pushed by as a result of, as she put it, “survivors don’t get a alternative of their ache. They endure it each day.”
Willis crawled for 17 hours, explaining that her bodily ache grew because the miles handed. As she neared the midway mark, the spot the place she had been raped, her physique reached its breaking level. “I felt helpless; I didn’t know methods to take one other step,” she mirrored. Standing on the website of her assault, she allowed herself to rise, and completed the race on her toes. “I gave myself permission to face tall,” she stated.
Trying forward: combating for change
Whereas Willis didn’t full the complete marathon on her knees, the importance of her journey stays highly effective, and her message of power and survival is much from over. For the final 0.3 miles, Willis was joined by members of the Texas Home of Representatives, and this spring, Willis will testify earlier than the Texas Home of Representatives and Senate, advocating for legal guidelines to guard survivors.”I’ll stand tall and battle for what survivors deserve,” she says.
Willis’s work continues past simply her personal therapeutic. She is engaged on a Denim Day 5K sequence to lift funds for survivors, in addition to an animated movie geared toward serving to others address trauma; she says her battle for change is simply starting.
To study extra about Summer time Willis and her work, head right here.
If you happen to or somebody you recognize wants speedy assist, name or textual content 1-866-403-8000 to succeed in the confidential Alberta’s One-Line for Sexual Violence; for elsewhere in Canada, discover a record of assets right here. Within the U.S., you may name the RAINN Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).