Darien Woman Overcomes Assault, Participates In Chicago Triathlon

DARIEN, IL — A Darien woman is showing her status as a survivor and a fighter by running in the Chicago Triathlon. Rachel Rach, 25, was volunteering in South America when she was attacked on a mountaintop. She fought her attacker off, and rolled off a cliff to escape. Now, she uses triathlon training to manage PTSD and live a healthier lifestyle.

Rach grew up in Darien and since she was a child, she enjoyed running, biking and especially swimming, never did them competitively. She has always been athletic, though, and in 2014 she decided to participate in a triathlon in Naperville. This year's triathlon in Chicago will be Rach's seventh.

While volunteering in South America, Rach said she was hiking alone in the mountains near her house, which she had done many times before. After reaching the top of her path, she discovered a man had been following her on her hike. After trying to introduce herself, the man pulled her to the ground. He tried to remove her clothes and subdue her on the ground.

"I continued to fight and fight and scream and claw and bite and punch and knee as I resisted with everything I had in me," Rach said. "The events taking place became completely surreal and everything started to slow down and I felt my mind and body separate and work full force in order to best help me survive."

Rach said the more she fought, her attacker became enraged and hit her head against the ground and strangled her.

"There was so much pain and fear, and even more strength and calmness rushing through me all at once," Rach said. "For me, the feeling is similar while participating in a triathlon. The important thing is just breath and keep going, and have hope that you will survive this."

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Rach said that's exactly what she did.

"I didn't give up, I kept defending myself and kept going," she said. "It was a miracle that I was not raped, and it was a miracle that I was not killed."

She said during the attack the two of them rolled close enough along the edge, and Rach knew she had to escape. She pushed both of them down the side, and as they fell, the attacker let go of her.

"I was able to eventually get to my feet and amazingly stumble my bloody, dirty, swollen, bruised self to a nearby house of some family generous enough to aid me."

After the attack, Rach went to the local police station and they drove around the general area looking for her attacker, but never found him.

"My hope is that I scared the hell out of him since I know he didn't expect me to fight back the way I did. I know I surprised him and I know that I hurt him back," Rach said. "Most of all, I hope he does not attempt to rape any other women in the future."

She said the attack gave her PTSD, and that at first training was difficult, but eventually became something that helped her manage her symptoms.

"Triathlon training is a lifestyle," Rach said. She added that the lifestyle helps guide her on a path of a more healthy lifestyle.

"Sometimes a race that may be three months away is the only reason I get out of bed and it feels I can literally hear the race day calling me," she said. "I enjoy triathlons because they are humbling and make me feel so small, as if it is a big, giant boulder of a challenge that you have to chip, chip away at slowly until it becomes something you can finally pick up and put in your pocket."

Rach said her goal for the triathlon is to simply finish to the best of her ability.

The Chicago Triathlon will take place Sunday, Aug. 27.

Photo via Patch Archives.