My name is Bella Montgomery. I have made the decision to walk over 1000kms from Perth to Bremer Bay, Western Australia to raise money and awareness for Domestic Violence.

In April 2024, I came very close to losing my life in a car crash. I never thought anything like this would happen to me until it did. My car rolled about four times whilst driving at 110km/h, and I survived it. I was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital with a brain bleed, fractured skull and a pretty beaten-up body, but it was nothing compared to what it could have been. I went through a few life-changing hours when I thought I might die, and that feeling still sits in my stomach every day and is disturbing enough to push me to live my life the best I can. I vividly remember looking at the stars whilst I lay on the road in the arms of strangers comforting me, promising myself and whoever was looking over me that If I lived through this, even if I couldn’t ever walk again, I would never let a day slip by where I didn’t fight for what I deserved. I decided from that day to stop surviving my life and start living.

So once I recovered, I decided to do something to show myself that there is no stopping someone who is determined, and in my usual impulsiveness, I decided to walk over 1000 km to show my fight.

The link to Domestic Violence.

I wanted to walk for something that gets me up every morning and fills me with enough anger and motivation to take another step, even when I am aching to give up. I needed something that would push me to walk 25-30 km a day wearing a 23kg pack through rain, wind, and discomfort. And this issue will do this for me. This is a terrifying issue in Australia, and unfortunately, it's not spoken about nearly enough. I know that I can’t change the country and can’t stop DV, but I thought I could try to make a difference in the only way I know how. I hope that I reach people who need to see this, and I hope I reach the people who have the power to make a change. Whilst I do this, the money I raise will go to Domestic Violence shelters in Perth and hopefully make a change in a few lives. Every dollar counts, and if you have the means to donate, it would mean the world to me. I can’t stop Domestic Violence by myself, but if we all try, then I do believe we can make a difference.