Kara Robinson Chamberlain speaks about ‘Run like a girl’ trend
A woman who was kidnapped and held hostage for 18 hours by a sadistic killer has inspired a “powerful” new trend on social media following her escape.
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A woman who was held hostage has inspired a social media trend that’s flipped the script on the idea that “running like a girl” is a bad thing.
Kara Robinson Chamberlain was 15 years old when she was kidnapped from her friend’s front yard at gun point in South Carolina in 2002. She was held hostage for 18 hours, during which time she was sexually assaulted.
When her kidnapper Richard Evonitz slept, Kara managed to free herself and escape from his apartment. She helped police find the man who abducted her, and it was revealed he was responsible for three unsolved murders.
Kara’s story has been told time and time again, including in the 2023 film The Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story. Recently, a clip from the film has gone viral on TikTok. The clip shows the moment Kara — played by Katie Douglas — breaks free and sprints from Evonitz’s apartment. The song “Labour” by Paris Paloma is played over the top.
Women have been using the film’s footage and the song to share the moments they were forced to “run like a girl”. Often, the women taking part in this trend detailed times they were forced to escape horrific predators and abuse at the hands of the men in their life — whether it was running or finding another way to safely escape.
It’s been labelled the “Run Like A Girl” trend — and its caught the eye of the woman it’s all about.
“I think it’s so important to remember that just because you went through something bad — one, that doesn’t make you bad. Two, that doesn’t mean that bad thing has to keep controlling your life,” Ms Robinson told news.com.au.
“And three, however you got through it, it was the right choice for you in that moment because you’re here today. Now, you can take you life back. You can stop running.”
Ms Chamberlain said it redefined the idea of “running like a girl”, saying that in fact meant “yeah, I ran for my life”. Another thing she has enjoyed is seeing the very few trolls on this trend been shut down by women backing out women.
“This is girlhood at its finest. This is what we want. I was born in 1986, I came up in the ’90s,” she said.
“I was not taught that women could be community. Basically, it was woman vs. woman. It was a competition. That’s not the case.
“And to see how society is changing and how this trend — and social media in general — are painting a beautiful picture of girlhood.”
She said it was impossible to escape life without something difficult happening, and that’s seen by the women in the comments, so why should women rip each other down.
Ms Chamberlain told news.com.au her attention was drawn to the trend by a handful of her followers who had spotted it.
In response, Ms Chamberlain posted a clip of herself sitting, with text over her face.
“At 15, I ran out of the apartment of a man who would have killed me,” the text read.
“And now I get to teach others what it looks like to be strong and not be defined by their past.”
Ms Chamberlain told news.com.au she made the really quick video, and it went viral.
“That was just me following the trend exactly, and it was getting a couple million views,” Ms Chamberlain told news.com.au.
“But, ultimately my goal is not to just continue retelling my story. So when these trends tend to come up, I try to put a different spin on it because my story has been told in ways I’m proud of and stand behind.
“I try to do something that has purpose.”
She said she didn’t want her story to simply be “trauma tourism” but to genuinely affect positive change for people who have been through horrifying experiences through education and inspiration.
That was what inspired the second video, of Ms Chamberlain simply getting ready — and adding a message she wanted everyone who left a comment to know.
“If you couldn’t or didn’t run, that doesn’t mean you’re not strong enough. If you ran, you made it. You can stop running,” she said.
“You are not alone. You won’t always feel traumatised. You will find people that make you feel safe again.”
She said to those people that it wasn’t the person’s fault what had happened to them and healing was totally possible.
“Life will be beautiful again,” she said.
Ms Chamberlain told news.com.au the trend has taken on a life of its own, and had become even more powerful than she ever imagined, seeing how much impact a simple trend can have.
“What I’m seeing in the comments is a community forming where its people making comment of their stories, and then other people come in and minister to them,” she said.
“It’s spurred this whole movement for me. I’m making other videos such as ‘What’s something you wish you’d known in your healing journey’ inspired by that other video where people are sharing their tips.”
She said the accidental community that has formed was exactly what was needed, allowing people to be seen and heard.
“It’s been so powerful. The reality of what I’m doing is sharing something that’s very vulnerable, and I’m doing it in a public way,” she said.
“That means a lot of people ‘trauma dump’. The difference between the comment section on that video and trauma dumping is someone going to my website, filling out a form and sharing a novel of a bad thing that happened. Or a message in my inbox. That’s trauma dumping. That’s oversharing when someone might not have the capacity to hear and help.
“As opposed to what’s happening in the comments where it’s opening a conversation where people are saying ‘Wow, I didn’t realise I had been running for 20 years’. ‘Wow, I’d never heard someone say it wasn’t my fault but healing is my responsibility’.
“It’s helping to take people the next level of their pain possibly having a purpose.”
The trend also had a surprising impact on Ms Chamberlain, saying it changed her perspective on social media. Around the time of the US TikTok ban, she said she found it “draining” and she wasn’t enjoying it anymore.
Them, she quickly posted the trend. She said it’s “invigorated” her passion, which is helping people.
Originally published as Kara Robinson Chamberlain speaks about ‘Run like a girl’ trend
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