DEARBORN, Mich. (WWJ) -- One week and 340 miles later, Dani Filipek is recovering in a hotel room.
The ultra marathoner set out from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., last Tuesday and ran about 40 miles each day until she reached her destination in Dearborn.
Why?
To raise awareness for victims of sexual and domestic violence.
The 27-year-old Filipek is a former Olympic Trial qualifier who now works with survivors at the Diane Peppler Resource Center for domestic and sexual assault survivors in Sault Ste. Marie. Working as an advocate takes a lot of time -- from being at a hospital with a victim late at night to driving across the U.P. in the wee hours of the morning -- so she doesn't always find the time to run.
Filipek tells WWJ as she began losing the heart it takes to be a competitive runner, she decided she wanted to go and make a difference and figured she could do so with her passion -- running.
"I ended up not having a lot of heart for it because in running, with a lot of professionals, you're running for your contract, you're running for a PR, and I'm getting to a point in my life where it's not fulfilling," Filipek said. "I hope I can use my gift for other things."
With her husband riding alongside her on her journey, Filipek, a survivor herself, met other survivors along the way. Hearing their stories was emotionally and physically draining, Filipek said, but it also gave her strength to keep going for the cause she believes in.
"Your heart would just break, but then they tell you how they're surviving and how you're inspiring them and I just can't even put into words how inspired I was by all these survivors," Filipek said.
Filipek says for many survivors it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
"And that's okay. It is 100% okay at that time," Filipek said.
As an advocate, she always tells survivors it's okay to feel those emotions and any choices you make "are exactly where you need to be and exactly the right responses."
On the final day of her journey, Filipek wrote names and initials of survivors on her arms to carry those individuals with her to the finish line.
Dearborn is the site of the annual Michigan Coalition to End Domestic Violence conference, where Filipek will begin training on Wednesday.
"I appreciate your support and prayers," Filipek wrote in an Instagram post, "but most importantly, do those things for the 1 in 6 women sexually assaulted and 1 in 10 men sexually assaulted each year. I will be running for those survivors, because chances are, someone you love has been affected by sexual assault or domestic violence."
Donations can be made in support of Filipek's journey and in honor of survivors online.
