Episode Player

Running, Resilience & Reclaiming Space | Sissy Austin on Take Back The Track 

What happens when the place that brings you peace becomes the place that changes your life forever?

In this episode of Community Conversations by Clothing The Gaps, host Sarah Sherry sits down with her dear friend Sissy Austin for a powerful conversation about running, healing, justice, advocacy, and reclaiming public space.

Sissy Austin is a proud Gunditjmara, Keerray Woorroong and Djab Wurrung woman, passionate runner, truth teller, and founder of Take Back The Track.
 

Following a violent assault while running on Country in 2023, Sissy began a deeply personal healing journey that would eventually lead her to complete the New York City Marathon through the Indigenous Marathon Project and launch a national movement advocating for the safety of women and gender diverse runners.

This episode explores:

• Connection to Country through running
• Healing after violence and trauma
• Community care and collective strength
• The Indigenous Marathon Project journey
• Running the New York City Marathon
• Resilience, grief, and recovery
• Women and gender diverse peoples’ safety and public space
• Media narratives and racism
• Why Take Back The Track was created
• The future of safe running for all

This is a conversation about courage.
About refusing to let fear steal joy.
And about what it means to reclaim freedom, one step at a time.

Guest

Sissy Austin, Founder of Take Back The Track

Links

Take Back The Track

ABC Article on Sissy's attack

Chapters

00:00 Running, Healing & Connection to Country
02:45 Why Running Became Sissy’s Anchor
08:12 The Assault That Changed Everything
12:40 Community Care After Trauma
18:10 Returning to Running Again
23:00 Racism, Media Narratives & Public Response
26:05 The Indigenous Marathon Project Journey
33:10 Training Through Injury & Deep Water Running
36:35 Crossing the New York Marathon Finish Line
41:05 The Birth of Take Back The Track
46:05 Why Women Shouldn’t Have To “Run Safe”
49:18 Building a National Movement
51:00 Research, Advocacy & Changing Systems
51:57 The Future Sissy Wants For Runners