Beck grew up in a quiet suburban street in Melbourne with her 3 siblings. She enjoyed a carefree, typical childhood. Filled with playful days spent with her brothers and sister, having tea parties, running through a sprinkler on a hot summer’s day and riding down the street on a hand built billy cart. Life was innocent, adventurous and fun.
Beck’s life changed when she was just 6 and half years old. The innocence of life and her days of being a child stopped abruptly.
For the next 7 years Beck endured ongoing sexual abuse. For the first 3 years of this period, Beck resided in her paternal Grandfather’s house where weekly sexual abuse, physical beatings, psychological punishment, strict schedules, daily chores and time in isolation became her life. Beck recalls frequently laying in bed at night praying for an escape. Praying that someone would come in and take her away from this place.
When her mother suddenly walked out of the house, Beck and her siblings moved to Country Victoria where her maternal grandparent’s lived. Shortly after, the sexual abuse began again, this time by her mother’s father. This abuse continued on for Beck until it was disclosed to a friend, when Beck was 12 years old.
After full disclosure of abuse, Beck was free for the first time in 7 years.
When Beck was 18 years of age she reached a defining moment in her life. It became the turning point to a life she now lives. When the pain of the abuse surfaced, she made a choice; a choice Beck believes saved her life. She chose to face her pain and issues head on. Determined not to be defined by the abuse and equally determined not to let it destroy her opportunity at life.
This was not an easy path. It was long, hard and at times so unbearable that she wanted to die. But she held on, believing that better days were ahead. Not knowing that all the while Beck was re‐creating a better future for herself. That throughout the hard yards she was actually transforming her life. Beck was discovering who she was. She was beginning to believe that she was worth something. Finally believing and seeing that she could have the same chance at life that everyone else around.
Beck’s story of how she transformed her life from trauma to triumph will inspire us to believe that you can overcome anything in your life, with persistence, determination, strength and courage.
Her amazing resilience and fierce determination to create a life on her terms will redefine how you perceive adversity and show you that it’s absolutely possible to live a wonderful life beyond trauma.
“I refused to become a victim of my circumstances” ~ BECK THOMPSON
