This year, from 26 June to 2 July, five Canberrans will rise to the challenge of running seven consecutive marathons, across seven states, over just seven days.

The Bravehearts 777 is a gruelling endurance challenge that Aussies accept to help raise money for and awareness of the fight against child sexual abuse.

It will be the fifth 777 for 46-year-old Canberra mum, Jess Peil.

The ninth iteration of the event has roused a total of 19 Aussie runners each pledging to raise $10,000 for Bravehearts. Right now, Jess’s team is closing in on a whopping $160,000 raised over five years. Needless to say, it’s been no easy feat.

“Each year gets a little bit harder on the fundraising side,” says Jess. “You’re putting out the same message to the same audience. Times aren’t easy, and people don’t have that much money to give away.

“You do have to start finding different ways to fundraise. This year I did a clothing sale and we just raised $5,000. It’s all about finding ways to keep people excited,” she smiles.

“I got involved in the 777 for the challenge, and then got so wrapped up in the stories and the community, that I can’t step back now. I have to keep going.

“So many things that happen through people’s lives – addiction, depression, suicide – stem from what happens when you’re a child.”

On a family holiday when she was 16 years old, an adult “family friend” came into Jess’s room uninvited and laid on top of her. She froze, not knowing what to do or say.

“That whole holiday that they were with us, I felt really uneasy. I needed a little bit of a break when I laid down on my bed during the day, and within five minutes he rocked up.

“My brother and I were sharing a room and we had these tiny little trundle beds that were so narrow. He laid on top of me and said, ‘Not very big, is it?’

“I completely froze, and afterwards, I didn’t really put two and two together.”

It would be years before Jess saw her personal experience for what it was, even after the man once known as ‘the fun uncle’ had died.

“I have met a lot of people along the way. It’s amazing how many have come forward in day-to-day life and said, ‘this happened to me’.”

The chance to be part of the solution kept Jess’s heart in the game, while her head was still piecing together her own story.

“For me, the 777 is the start of a conversation – a conversation that is uncomfortable. We need to try and make that conversation comfortable because we need to protect kids.

“Parents don’t want to believe this could ever happen, but we still need to be open enough to have chats about personal safety.”

Jess says one of the key messages she hopes to get out there this time around is, “To give your child enough self-respect to say no.

“Even if it’s something as small as not wanting to give an adult a cuddle after receiving a gift. Children do know their own boundaries up to a certain point, and we need to encourage that.

“Otherwise, when something does happen, they’re less likely to say anything; less likely to be able to say ‘no’.

She hopes to one day see the Ditto show, a Bravehearts program that teaches children personal safety skills in every school across Australia.

“There is so much stigma on so many different levels with child sexual assault. People don’t want to know about it, people don’t want to talk about it. If we don’t talk about it, nothing’s going to change.”

Reported sexual assaults were on the rise by 13 per cent (year on year) in 2021. Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of victim-survivors where under the age of 18 at the time the assault occurred.

In up to 90 per cent of child sexual assault cases, the offender is known to the family.

“My mum questioned this man,” said Jess. “After he passed away, she said to me, ‘Did he ever do anything to you?’ And I said no. It’s only been the last couple of years that I’ve thought, ‘Well, actually …’.”

Today, Jess is a mother of three.

“I look at my life and I consider myself very lucky. For a lot of people, it takes 16 to 20 years to come forward and say, ‘this happened to me’.”

As she embarks on running through Australia, towards the finish line on the Gold Coast, Jess hopes that starting a conversation will ripple towards a safer future for Australian kids.

Register for the Bravehearts 777 Marathon or donate at bravehearts.org.au/777.

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