Running and visualisation helped Wayne Curran overcome the horrifying experience of being sexually abused while in foster care and group homes from age six to 14.
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This eight-year ordeal followed him being subjected to violence, abuse and torture in early childhood.
"By the time I was six, I was removed from my mother's care," said Wayne, now 47.
His mother's boyfriend was charged and sent to prison for six years for sexual and physical abuse.
Wayne then stayed in various foster and group homes in Western Sydney and the Southern Highlands.
"It was soul destroying, torturous and never-ending," he said, referring to the abuse.
"I was forced to do sexual acts on a worker at a group home. And I was also repeatedly sexually abused at other places I stayed."
Wayne is currently on an epic 494-kilometre run from Kempsey Court House to Sydney Opera House with Pat Farmer.
The eight-day run will take in Bulahdelah on Monday and Raymond Terrace on Tuesday.
Titled Wayne's Run: A Journey of Hope for Foster Care, it aims to raise awareness of the plight of children in foster care and the lack of support for carers.
Wayne's ordeal led him to become sad, angry and violent. He abused alcohol to ease negative thoughts, hate and shame.
"I would binge drink when something triggered me," he said.
His violent outbursts landed him in and out of NSW prisons 34 times, amounting to 17 years in jail across a 24-year period.
He mostly did time in minimum security for assault convictions.
While in prison in 2022, he took up running as therapy.
"I was running six kilometres every hour for 10 hours on Kempsey prison's running track," he said, adding that the guards supported his efforts.
"The only reason I did stop was we had to get locked in our cells."
Pat, the ultra-marathon runner and former federal MP, said a prison officer "reached out to me and said Wayne wanted to give back to the community like I had".
"He was keen to do a run, but didn't have a clue how to go about it," Pat said.
They had several video conference calls while Wayne was still incarcerated.
"I decided to do the run with him and help him," Pat said.
The run supports the work of Hatch Carers, an initiative to support foster carers in NSW.
Pat said the run was also about "what happens when you get damaged kids".
The pair will speak to incarcerated youths at the Kariong juvenile detention centre on Wednesday about "the effects of your behaviour on your future".
A therapist advised Wayne to visualise the sexual abuse he suffered.
"I'd mainly visualise it in the morning when I woke up, but also while running," he said.
"I'd cry and suffer, but I was able to run that negativity out on the track."
He said this conditioned his mind, so it "became a memory instead of a trigger".
"Now I can revisit my childhood and it doesn't trigger me."
Pat said running was an endorphin high and an opportunity to "think straight, clear your head and solve problems".
Wayne added that running helped him build strength "physically, emotionally, and mentally".
"It allows me to slow my thoughts down and process negative stuff," he said.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
