On the right road to change

Kahira-Rata Olley is running from Rotorua to Flaxmere to raise awareness of abuse. Photo / Stephen Parker

Kahira-Rata Olley can't change what has happened in her past - but she does hope she can stop it from happening to others in the future.

The domestic and sexual abuse survivor wants to do that by sharing her story and making it more acceptable for people to speak about abuse.

As part of that awareness she's preparing to run from Rotorua to Flaxmere under the banner of Running to Stop It - her Facebook page.

Starting on November 25, Mrs Olley will run the 250km over five days in the symbolic journey.

She hopes to complete the run every second year.

"If I have to tell my story a million times and each time I save one person, then that is worth it."

She came up with the idea while training for the Rotorua Marathon last year.

Running has always been a release for her, and the journey from Rotorua to Flaxmere is symbolic because she was born and bred in Flaxmere which is where much of the abuse happened.

"I was training for this marathon and this vision just came to me to run from Rotorua to Flaxmere."

Since launching her Facebook page and sharing her plans Mrs Olley said she'd received lots of messages from those who had been abused.

Mrs Olley said her decision to speak out about the abuse came after she started to heal herself, accept what had happened and forgive those who had abused her.

"I had to forgive them and I had to take back the control. It happened, that is my lot in life. I hold no animosity.

"Something really horrid happened. It was really ugly but I believe out of something negative something positive has come out."

Mrs Olley, who spent more than a decade in Australia before returning to Rotorua four years ago, said while there was more awareness of domestic abuse these days, talking about sexual abuse still lagged behind.

"When I left New Zealand in 1998 people were just starting to talk about domestic violence. I came home and it's everywhere. I believe sexual abuse is where domestic violence was when I left."

"Let's get the awareness out there. It's not just for women, Running to Stop It is for both genders, all races, not just Maori, not just Pakeha. It's for our children. We need to save our babies."

Everyone is invited to join Mrs Olley for karakia (prayer) at the Te Ngae Rd side of Puketawhero Park at 7am on November 25, before she leaves on her run.