“Running opened up a whole new way of dealing with my assault,” Laurel said. “I saw therapists and went to group counseling, but running allowed me to be alone with my own thoughts while also working on myself, creating a healthier me both physically and mentally.”

Laurel also uses running as an outlet for her frustrations with reporting the assault. While her perpetrator was not arrested, Laurel finds that the confidence she gets from completing races gives her more satisfaction than sending her perpetrator to jail would provide. For her, healing came from finding something positive to take away from the experience and learning to love herself again.

“Running brought a sense of justice.” Laurel said. “If the legal system wasn’t going to give me the results I wanted, I would have to find them another way. That other way was within me.”

Laurel encourages others who are considering getting more active to start small and gradually increase the distance or intensity. When she first signed up for the half marathon Laurel didn’t consider herself a runner, but running ended up being a big part of her healing process.

“I started running after my assault to clear my head and also push myself further and harder than I ever had before,” Laurel said. “I run to remind myself of how strong I am and how resilient the human heart is. I run to prove to myself that I am not weaker because of my assault; I am stronger."

Join supporters and survivors like Laurel at the Lace Up for RAINN 5K on May 21st, either virtually or in-person in Washington, DC. Learn more and sign up to participate.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE and online.rainn.org, y en español: rainn.org/es.