A Palm Coast woman walking from Amelia Island to Key West seeks to raise awareness about sexual assault, heal and give a voice to victims.
Speaking near the Volusia-Brevard county line last week, Megan Farrell-Nelson kicked off her more than 600-mile walk on Amelia Island on April 1, where she tries to hit 12 miles a day.
She started at Fort Clinch and has been overwhelmed by the positive feedback so far, she said.
Farrell-Nelson said she was drugged and sexually assaulted at a work conference in 2020. She is currently in a federal lawsuit against her former employer. Farrell-Nelson said her journey has been “exhausting and heartbreaking.”
She referenced that one in six women will be a victim of attempted or completed rape in their lifetime, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. For men, it’s one in 10.
The reporting process left her feeling damaged, she said. However, it gave her a chance to show survivors they are not broken and not alone.
“There is life on the other side of this,” she said.
Farrell-Nelson said she wanted to destigmatize the women who’ve had a similar experience. She said a walk was the best way to spread awareness after watching the Peace Walk earlier this year. People could join her, including her friends, who are flying in for part of the journey.
“They’re planning their family vacations during that week in Key West so they can be there for it,” Farrell-Nelson said.
She said the idea came to her when she was doing her hair.
“I looked up how many miles it was, and I went to tell my husband, and he was like, ‘You are crazy,'” Farrell-Nelson said with a laugh. “Two days later, we were planning it.”
Now, Farrell-Nelson expects to finish by June 7. When she stopped by the Omni and told her story, she said the hotel offered to throw her a party when she’s done.
As she continues, the walk will test her physically, mentally and emotionally, Farrell-Nelson said.
Her walk is called “Walking on Tired Legs,” referring to the emotional toll survivors carry, she added.
“I hope if there’s someone out there who can relate to the pain that I’ve experienced, that they can see some hope on this next piece of my healing journey too,” Farrell-Nelson said.
Follow Farrell-Nelson’s journey on social media platforms at @meganfarrellnelson.