A teenager who survived domestic violence is running 137km to help other victims.
Rhys Blissett and some of his friends left Rolleston on the outskirts of Christchurch for Ashburton on Saturday morning and will run back on Sunday.
The run, each way, is expected to take more than 10 hours to complete. Initially, the group had planned to run 126km but changed the route so they could hit a distance of more than 130km.
The 17-year-old wants to raise money for Women’s Refuge and shine more light on abuse to inspire change, as his own family had received support from the organisation for most of his life.
“Being a victim and witness of domestic violence towards women and children is definitely going to keep me motivated throughout the whole run.
“I feel like domestic violence towards women and children isn’t talked about enough. I feel like it needs to be addressed a lot more around the whole of Aotearoa,” Blissett said.
While completing a pre-police course at the New Zealand Institute of Sport in Christchurch, Blissett opened up to his classmates about what he had lived through and they in turn have been supporting him by running sausage sizzles to raise funds.
He said he eventually wanted to be a police officer to help others.
Blissett has spent months preparing for the fundraiser, running 10km every day and up to 45km on Sundays. He has been doing weight training to build strength and following a strict diet.
He said he was determined to succeed and wanted all donations to help make life easier for others who face domestic violence.
“I’ve had my struggles coming out of it and things but I feel like I’ve moved on by myself and yeah just putting more positive people in my life.”
Tutor Oliver Withers said Blissett has a huge future ahead of him.
“I’ve never met a 17-year-old like him.
“He’s super driven, he’s focused on what he wants out of this and he thinks about his story as a way to help others rather than being pulled down by it all.”
“He’s 17 and he’s already a leader in the class,” Withers said.
People can donate to Blissett’s Givealittle page here.
