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Trisha Meili's story is about the capacity of the human body and spirit to heal. It's a story of hope and possibility. It didn't begin that way.

On April 19, 1989, a young woman went for a run in New York's Central Park shortly after 9 p.m. Hours later, two men wandering the park found her near death from a brutal beating and rape. In a coma, with 75 percent blood loss, a fierce blow to the head and severe exposure, doctors at Metropolitan Hospital worried that this young woman might not survive. The story seized the headlines, not only in New York, but around the world as people contemplated what the savagery of the attack said about our society.

Trisha Meili, known to the world as The Central Park Jogger, revealed her amazing story of survival and recovery 14 years later in her best-selling memoir I AM THE CENTRAL PARK JOGGER: A Story of Hope and Possibility.

Born and raised in Paramus, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh, Trisha was a Phi Beta Kappa economics major at Wellesley College and a double graduate degree recipient (M.B.A. and M.A.) at Yale University. After graduation, she went on to work as an associate at the Wall Street Investment Bank Salomon Brothers, until her life was violently interrupted that terrible night in Central Park.

I AM THE CENTRAL PARK JOGGER is not a story of an attack, but rather, one of healing. The horror of her attack brought an outpouring of support and love from her family, friends, healthcare workers, co-workers, and strangers. As she relearned how to do simple things, such as rolling over, telling time, buttoning her blouse or identifying simple objects, Trisha credits this support as part of the miracle of her recovery.

Trisha gives her time to organizations vital to her healing including The Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI) at Mount Sinai Hospital, Gaylord Hospital, where she did much of her rehabilitation, and the Achilles Track Club that helped her run the New York City Marathon in 1995.

Recently, received the Leadership Award from the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Courage Award from the Courage Center, the Pacesetter Award from New York Hospital Queens, the Spirit of Achievement Award from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Courage Award from Boston's Magic 106.7 Exceptional Women Program, and was an Olympic Torchbearer in New York City.

Today, Trisha speaks about her journey of recovery and healing to groups, including businesses, universities, brain injury associations, sexual assault centers, and hospitals. With her book and lectures, she offers lessons on how to manage through unpredictable change, whether personal, professional, economic or spiritual. Her story has encouraged people worldwide to overcome life's obstacles - regardless of what they might be - and get back on the road to life.