MARK ETHERIDGE: Tapping into grit and determination with vulnerable children in mind

It is pretty common knowledge that an Ironman event is three separate sporting codes of swimming, cycling and road running chained together in that sequence.

The name of Sallie Baisley probably won’t ring that many bells in the broader sporting community as she completed one of the hardest challenges of her ultra-distance career.

That is because she took almost twice as long to finish the gruelling Ironman African Championships in her hometown of Gqeberha — just shy of 16hr 30min — as did German winner Anne Reischmann (8:51).

But the youthful 50-year-old won’t have minded one bit, because each and every extra minute spent out on that road was spent on highlighting one of the lowest forms of humanity — that of human trafficking.

The three-pronged theme resonates strongly. Born in Zimbabwe, she spent a large portion of her life in England and has now been back in SA for about 10 years.

“Since 2002 I’ve done five Comrades Marathons, five half Ironman and five full Ironman events and a whole host of other ultra-distance events,” she says.

“When I’m out there I definitely take notice of what’s on people’s charities and this year I decided to do my own bit of raising awareness.”

For about the last year Baisley has put her head down, along with two other brave woman for a nonprofit organisation called Shattering Shackles, with her own speciality being the fight against online child sexual exploitation (OCSE).

The three words that define their passion are justice, freedom and dignity.

And she’s extremely well equipped to tackle this dark side of the human nature.

“When I was in the UK I spent 17 years in the police force, ending up as a detective-sergeant focusing on human trafficking and gender-based violence.”

The last year or so has seen her able to give a large amount of her daily time to help those affected by online exploitation and trafficking.

The Shattering Shackles trio sees one woman being involved in social media and fundraising, while Baisley and the third partner investigate human trafficking.

“Until now I’ve never been that much of a fundraising person and putting myself out there but this is quite a specific foundation, so it’s definitely something I’m considering.

“My next ultra-distance event is in Scotland in October — the Glasgow to Edinburgh Ultra, contested over 57 miles [91km, similar to Comrades), so I’ll wear that shirt again and think about how we could possibly raise funds.”

She said online exploitation is a huge global problem “though law enforcement have their hands so full of other crimes that often this is something that’s pushed to the side, but there are other foreign and local agencies that can help investigate. All three of the Shattering Shackles ladies have good relationships with the local police”.

And before parents out there think it could never happen to their child, Baisley said: “We as adults aren’t tech savvy compared to the youngsters!”

And sport is a real access point where online “groomers” can first make contact with their intended victim.

“Offenders scroll through social media, chatting to a variety of teenagers, looking for vulnerable people. Among them may be a young girl who has been dropped to a B team and is feeling useless.”

Baisley said the young girl will be duped into thinking she’s chatting to someone her age or slightly older. “The offender will build trust while finding as much about her as possible. Once he has her trust he starts isolating her until she gives him virtually all her attention.

“Then the matter of sex is slowly introduced until she eventually sends sexual pictures and videos of herself which then go onto the dark web ... alarm bells go off and we get called in to help.”

SA is familiar with human trafficking, sexual offences and gender-based violence with two prominent cases springing to mind — that of the still-missing Joshlin Smith in the Western Cape and televangelist pastor Timothy Omotoso, recently surprisingly acquitted of rape, human trafficking, sexual assault, and racketeering by the high court in Gqeberha.

The global facts are terrifying.

Said Baisley: “Basically one in five girls and one in 13 boys will have been sexually exploited or abused online before the age of 18 globally. Putting it differently that means of a class of 30 pupils, five girls and two boys in that class are likely to be exploited before 18.”

Baisley knows all about the long game, it’s her sporting passion. And her work away from sport is also that of endurance and playing the waiting game.

Hopefully her 16 hours of showing off the name of Shattering Shackles at African Championships is one small step in the right direction and helps halt the horror.