Kill the Silence
by Monika Korra
In 2009, college sophomore and track star Monika Kørra was grabbed by three men on her way home from a party and brutally raped. Within hours of being released, Monika resolved that she would not be a victim -- she was going to be a survivor. Monika had traveled from her home in Norway to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, determined to acclimate to life in the States and excited for the opportunity of a full scholarship to do what she loved. As an athlete and Olympic hopeful, Monika already knew how to train against extreme fatigue, soreness, and distraction. She was used to overcoming adversity, using obstacles like stepping stones to achieve her goals. Persistence and patience had always been her greatest tools. She would now have to use these same qualities to regain her self-identity and find a "new normal". Stripped of her sense of security, she slowly rebuilds her life with the help of her friends, family, and her own unflappable...