Kelly Herron's Sexual Assault Story
She Fought Off an Assault on a Run — Here's Why She Teaches Self-Defense Now
"I Let It Go on That Run"
In the midst of that turmoil, Kelly was still trying to train for her marathon. "I kept running," she explained, "because I was so determined not to let this guy take anything from me. Overly determined, to my detriment, really."
An injury finally forced her to take a break and focus on self-care. It was the best thing that could've happened, Kelly said. She set her sights on a later race, the 2017 Chicago Marathon, which she completed that October with her mom. That, along with helping to coach a "Couch to 5K" class for new runners, renewed her love for running.
In March 2018, Kelly appeared in court to give a victim impact statement, looking her assailant straight in the eye. Putting the impact of the attack into words felt healing in a way that nothing else had.
Her attacker went to prison, and in July 2018, Kelly completed a leg of a group relay race that, when she'd attempted it the year before, had triggered a PTSD attack. This time, she said, it was the final push that helped her let go of the assault and its hold on her. Two days later, she received word that her attacker had died in prison.
"I let it go on that run. I became whole and got through it," she said. "It wasn't even him dying that did it." The relief was still intense. He was out of her life forever, and even more powerfully, he could never hurt anyone else. Six months later, Kelly finished her second 26.2 at the Honolulu Marathon with a personal-best time.
