Kelly Herron survived a brutal attack two years ago and is now launching a series of self-defense classes to help others arm themselves with the tactics that saved her life.
What was one of her worst days two years ago has now turned into her life's work.
“I’m happier than I've ever been in my whole life. It's really given me a calling and a purpose and feel like I'm making a difference,” Herron said.
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In March 2017, Herron was on a run when she stopped to use the restroom at Golden Gardens Park. She was attacked and almost raped by a sex offender. She fought back and survived, which she credits to a self-defense class taken just three weeks earlier, taught by Jordan Giarratano of Fighting Chance Seattle.
“It was important to me for people to know I wasn’t just lucky but that I was prepared,” Herron added.
Since her brutal assault, Herron has made it her mission to empower women and advocate for self-defense.
On Saturday, she and Giarratano teamed up for a free self-defense class at Optimism Brewing in Capitol Hill.
Runners like Karen Barnes, who registered for the class, said they're always worried about safety.
“You go over it mentally your mind a lot, especially on runs where I am unsure of what’s around me or what’s going on,” Barnes explained.
Barnes and neighbor Annie Keating have even started a neighborhood running group.
Both have taken at least one self-defense course before, but wanted to freshen up their skills.
“It’s important, I think, to do things like this with a fair amount of frequency so that it sort of builds into your muscle memory,” Keating added.
This session kicks off a series of self-defense classes that Herron and Giarratano will teach starting in May.
Giarratano says Herron's experience has also changed how he teaches.
“I focus a lot on intention. So what are we fighting for, if we have a very firm connection to I love myself, I deserve to be safe, my body is my own, I have a right to say no. When we're in that place, the warrior mindset comes naturally. and Kelly taught me that. And so I really deepened a section of my workshop where Ii talk about our connection to ourselves,” Giarratano said.
KIRO 7 asked Herron about what she wanted people to take away from the classes.
“I think the one that's most important is to really trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, listen to that. I think, especially as women, we very intuitive. We're trained to be polite. aAd being polite isn't the most appropriate thing to do in a situation. We have to be vocal and loud and show that we're not going down easily,” Herron answered.
To learn more about Herron's new self-defense classes, which include a course designed for runners in the field and a corporate safety workshop, follow this link.
Cox Media Group
