By Amy Griffin
Every 68 seconds, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States. The Utah National Guard and the Elizabeth Smart Foundation are raising awareness for sexual assault prevention this month with a workout.
November was designated “Military Sexual Assault Survivors Month” by the Utah Legislature.
“If you are a survivor, you deserve to be believed,” Elizabeth Smart, chair and founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, said. Smart was kidnapped from her home at the age of 14 in 2002 and sexually assaulted in captivity for nine months.
In the almost 20 years since her highly publicized kidnapping and rescue, Smart has dedicated her life to advocating for sexual assault survivors.
The Utah National Guard is joining Smart’s foundation in raising awareness of sexual assault in and out of the military by issuing a joint statement and inviting Utahns to participate in a specific workout. The routine involves eight sets of 68 seconds each, calling attention to the dire sexual assault statistics.
Six or eight reps of each exercise are completed. The Utah National Guard hopes to encourage Utahns to get in shape this month and to “eradicate this scourge from our community and our organization.”
For those who would like to participate, the workout routine consists of eight Rounds that include six burpees, eight air squats, six pushups, and eight sit-ups.
