Kelly Herron's Sexual Assault Story
She Fought Off an Assault on a Run — Here's Why She Teaches Self-Defense Now
Running Marathons and Teaching Her Own Self-Defense Workshops
Since the assault, Kelly's battle cry — "Not today, motherf*cker" — has become her business, Not Today. Through Not Today, she now coteaches corporate self-defense workshops, both for runners and for general city safety. They're the same kind of classes that helped her survive, and she teaches them alongside the trainer Jordan Giarratano from Fighting Chance Seattle, who originally taught her those skills. "I felt like I had this higher calling to do this," Kelly said. "To empower women and try to give people the same chance that I had, that helped me survive."
Kelly is working on her running coach certification and, in the meantime, still pursuing her own running goals. This Spring, she'll try to run a half-marathon in less than two hours, and in the Fall, she's looking to break five hours in the Atlantic City Marathon. "I'm trying to keep in mind that I'm making good progress," Kelly said. "I'm trying to be patient and realize that getting back just takes dedication and time."
