Trek for Trish

On the 19th of January, two sisters Rosie and Barbara shared memories of their sister Trish Wallis with 60 horse riders and 9 walkers in their “Trek for Trish”, an event created by her friends and family to honour Trish’s life. Trish was murdered by her ex-husband Mike Douthett on the 26th of November 2018.

Horses were Trish’s passion and she took part in the annual Great New Zealand Trek from Cape Reinga to Bluff, her death denying her the chance to complete the 14th and final leg. Some of her friends and family organised the trek in her honour for what would have been her 52nd birthday, so it was a very special day. Her cousin Fred Wallis came all the way from the UK to take part.

At the time she was shot and killed, Trish had recently left her husband and sadly that has repeatedly been proven to be one of the most dangerous times for women in abusive relationships. If you are in danger or you know someone who is, please click here to see a list of organisations that can provide advice and assistance including putting together a safety plan.

The organisers made the event a fundraiser for White Ribbon in the hope that others don’t have to go through what their family did. In the words of Trish’s sister Barbara: “Stand up against control and violence. If you think that someone you know is in a situation then more than likely they are. Ask and talk. Do it without judgement, these people are not weak, in fact the opposite.”

Trish’s sister Rosie Wallis made a video with a personal call to action on preventing violence against women, highlighting the terrible statistics around family harm in New Zealand and ensuring equality and respect for women. Her video can be viewed here.

We know most men are not violent and we need those men to speak out on this issue and challenge other men when they display abusive behavior toward women. We need to undermine the attitudes and behaviours that support violence and instead encourage healthy, respectful relationships.

We are extremely grateful to Trish’s family and friends for raising awareness about the serious issue of violence against women in this country. This violence affects women from all walks of life. We are also very thankful for the funds raised to help us in our efforts to spread that message throughout the wider community.