Today we’re joined by Rawson Kirkhope — a Navy veteran, childhood domestic violence survivor, and co-founder of VRTUS, a community-first gym.

When Rawson was 12 years old, he witnessed his father shoot his mother, trying to end her life. Despite the horrific violence and being on the run for a week, his father was only sentenced to 4 years in jail. This event left him with PTSD - something that he has had to learn to live with.

In this episode, Rawson shares what it was like to grow up never knowing whether your home was safe. We talk about what trauma does to your sense of identity, the complexity of loving someone whilst being simultaneously terrified by them, and how those early years shaped the man he would become.

If this topic is sensitive for you, please take care while listening. There is always help available and someone to talk to on 1800 RESPECT

We speak about:

The reality of growing up around violence
Always trying to be a ‘good’ kid to not escalate anything at home
How kids who grow up around volatile parents can struggle with validation
The justice system and having to testify against his own dad
The complexities of PTSD and what it looks like in reality
The strength of community around you
Reshaping masculinity and how routine has really helped

You can find more from Rawson on instagram
And VRTUS

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