CLAIRE MCFARLANE

IN 2014, CLAIRE MCFARLANE shared the story of her brutal rape, which occurred in Paris in 1999. When she did so, she realised she could have a positive impact on other survivors of sexual violence.

After recovering from her injuries, Mcfarlane had returned home to Australia to try to piece her life back together. But in 2009 the past came back to haunt her. Her attacker had reoffended, a DNA match had been found and Mcfarlane was asked to go to Paris to identify him. Standing face-to-face with the man, she knew she hadn’t healed.

As the case dragged through the French courts for six years, Mcfarlane used running – particularly on the beach – as a restorative and empowering tool. And as she grew physically stronger, she began to feel safer.

By 2014 she felt strong enough to tell her story. It gave other survivors the courage to reach out to her to share theirs. Inspired, she wondered how she might keep the conversation going.

‘ Sexual violence is a subject that’s difficult both to talk about and to listen to,’ says Mcfarlane, ‘but it’s a huge, silent epidemic that affects one in four women, and one in six men. Just talking about it wasn’t going to work. I had to find another way.’

Mcfarlane thought about how beach running had helped her own healing, and how she could use it to show others that there is life after trauma. In addition, sport has a way of uniting people – why not use it to bring women together to talk about their experiences?

As part of her initiative, Footsteps to Inspire, Mcfarlane is running 16km of beach in every coastal country of the world, in support of rape survivors: that’s 3,000km, and almost 190 beaches. Her journey began in South Africa on 18 July, 2016, and she plans a symbolic end in France, in July 2020.

Besides running in each country and sharing her story with survivors, Mcfarlane connects with NGOS, services and community groups. She is compiling a detailed report that will help governments to understand the issues faced by survivors globally.

‘ Rape culture perpetuates silence and shame,’ says Mcfarlane. ‘ Victims tend to blame themselves or feel guilty about what’s happened, and they don’t want to talk about it. In some countries, women are actually punished for opening up. This journey is about acknowledging the issues. Once we know what’s really happening, we can find a solution.’