Self-defense a top priority for Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, local runners following death of Georgia student

PRINCETON, Mass. – For the better part of a decade, the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office have been teaching women how to defend themselves.

“Really what it is, is survival,” said Sheriff Lew Evangelidis. “I like to describe it like that. It won’t teach you complete self-defense, but it’s going to teach you the skills to survive an attack and give you a chance.”

The partnership has unfortunate beginnings. In 2016, 27-year-old Vanessa Marcotte was killed while out for a walk in her hometown of Princeton.

“You may remember, I was the state Rep. for Princeton for many years,” Evangelidis said. “I have a special bond with this town and when I heard that horrible thing happened to Vanessa, it just hit me really hard like anything would being a father.”

Marcotte’s story is sadly similar to that of Laken Hope Riley – the Georgia college student who was found dead after going out for a jog this past weekend.

The classes hosted by the Marcotte Foundation teach a number of strikes and methods one can use should they be put in a dangerous situation.

According to the foundation, more than 600 women are assaulted each day in the U.S. They say roughly 58% of women runners have experienced harassment on a run.

“Our running club is 800 people, half of them are women, and I think almost all of us have a story about something uncomfortable, someone saying something, cat-calling, or even something even more inappropriate,” said Kim Gordon, a member of the running group Central Mass. Striders.

Gordon is also a board member for the Striders. She said this situation is all too familiar.

“I used to run alone,” Gordon said. “I thought, ‘OK, no, I’m going to try and find some people to run with.’ Just for the safety factor.”

It’s a busy time of year for runners, with the Boston Marathon just six weeks away. Gordon said runners should take precautions, like running without headphones.

“We can all just do what we can,” Gordon said. “Like I said, being really aware of our surroundings, letting someone know where we’re running and when we’re going to be back so they know when to expect us, taking those self-defense courses.”

“We think that whether you’re in Massachusetts or Georgia, that this is an important topic for so many people,” said Melissa Bowman, executive director of the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation. “Women, but everyone.”