Sandy Suckling has run all over the world but didn't always have a passion for running.
As a domestic violence survivor, she has used running as an escape, a distraction, and eventually as a way to slowly heal from her trauma.
"It helped me to start taking control back in life and from being a victim."
The 62-year-old is continuing her healing process and plans to amplify the conversation about domestic violence by running 1,100 kilometres from Broken Hill to Melbourne in 21 days.
Through spreading awareness, she hopes to help other sufferers find their own strength to leave a situation where the fear of the unknown can often be just as scary as staying.
Living in fear
At the age of 18, Ms Suckling was married and living on a farm in South Gippsland, Victoria. By the time she was 24, she had three children.
"It was a very isolating life," she said.
"I was in a relationship where everything was negative about my life, everything I did was wrong."
While she thought often about leaving, it wasn't until her children were approaching their teenage years that Ms Suckling built up enough courage to finally walk away.
"I ended up leaving in my early 30s. I had one child at primary school and the other two were in lower levels of high school and that was when I just randomly one day said, 'that's it'."
"He left for work, I packed up the car and left and fled, I think, for 12 months.
"I had an order on him, and he still turned up at places and dragged me out and everything else. I mean, it was awful, but we got through it."
'I had finally found myself'
Ms Suckling attributes much of her recovery to ultramarathon running.
Ms Suckling's past experiences and new-found love for running quickly became a catalyst to push herself through gruelling ultramarathons all over the world.
"Through physical exhaustion with every step big or small, or climbing giant mountain passes I had finally found myself."
Ms Suckling has completed ultramarathon races on all seven continents.
She has run in Italy, Namibia, South Africa, France, Switzerland, Jordan, Antarctica, Egypt and Sri Lanka just to name a few countries.
She met her current husband Colin while teaching an aerobics class, and the pair fell in love while walking and running.
"He got involved in the aerobics, and he couldn't do this diamond thing, and I remember after class trying to show him how to do this move, and he said, 'you run?'
"And I said, 'yes', and he asked, would I train him for a marathon?"
The couple has gone on to complete several ultramarathons together, including their first, a 250-kilometre seven-day self-supported stage race across the Sahara Desert.
"My husband says if he runs with me, I totally zone out. I'm just running, I think you get to that certain spot, your legs just click over and you actually don't really think about it."
Broken Hill to Melbourne
More than 30 years after managing to escape her violent ex-partner and traumatic past life, Ms Suckling wants to raise more awareness about the growing problem of domestic violence.
"Colin keeps saying, you realise this will rip the bandaid off you and, yes I think it will but that's part of my healing as well."
Ms Suckling will run from Broken Hill to Melbourne, an ultramarathon a day for 21 days, with Colin following in a support vehicle.
"During the course of the day, I'll be going and scoping out food, laundromats, anything to do with the run that can make her transition from day one to 21 easy," Mr Suckling said.
"For me getting behind Sandy's journey knowing the back story, knowing what she wants to give, it's so important that she spreads the word that she feels like she may have missed out on doing in a past era."
Improving the conversation
Ms Suckling is being supported by Run Against Violence, an association that uses running to engage communities and start conversations about domestic violence prevention.
Run Against Violence founder Kirrily Dear says being involved in a group activity that is healthy and active often creates safe spaces to share stories.
"What I've seen in the last five years is that people are now more willing to talk about those assumptions we have about the way we behave," Ms Dear said.
"Things like, what is respectful communication? How do you manage anger without being physically violent towards someone else?"
The association also provides educational talks to school groups, focusing on respectful relationships.
"When I started doing this work in 2014, schools were still reluctant to have programs in there, but now it's almost becoming a mandatory part of their curriculum," Ms Dear said.
For Sandy Suckling, the bandaid placed on the wounds has been ripped off.
"The run to me whether it touches one soul, whether it touches many, it really doesn't matter," she said.
"It's not about me, it's actually about the huge picture and the awareness because it's still a real problem. We've come far, but we haven't come far enough."
