We all know I rarely find myself struggling with words, but certain guests and their stories simply defy adequate description. I was lucky enough to interview Grace Tame at an event back in 2022 where her bravery and eloquence moved a room full of excitable adults to still, silent awe. Getting to chat with her again and share that with you all this week feels like such a great privilege and again found me quite lost for words.
Grace, on the other hand, speaks with such clarity and composure even on her unfathomable experiences of trauma and pain. As a survivor of child sexual abuse both at the age of six and 15, she has become a powerful advocate for legal reform, reduction of stigma and primary prevention of sexual violence against children.
Add some complex layers including anorexia, domestic violence, late diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and having it all laid bare before the whole nation becoming Australian of the Year at just 26 while still processing it all in real time... and there you have a journey unimaginable to most of us. And yet, Grace’s capacity not only to continue her advocacy with the Grace Tame Foundation, but to find pockets of joy, hope and love is perhaps what blows me away the most.
I won’t attempt to say more as it continues to feel inadequate, but I am grateful not only to help continue raising awareness of complex issues like grooming and consent but also to share some parts of Grace you don’t hear as much about elsewhere. You know that’s what I love most about this show and being a survivor of child sexual abuse is simply not the totality of Grace Tame.
She is funny, quirky, reflective and hopeful - an ultramarathon runner, artist, author, bookworm and dedicated friend. Despite a pathway in which she was given no choice and where finding her yay could not be the main focus - unlike many of our guests - she somehow finds it anyway. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
Follow Grace here.
Visit the Grace Tame Foundation here.
If this conversation raises any emotional distress for you, please reach out to someone, or call Lifeline for 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services on 13 11 14.
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