Runner Sissy Austin reunited with paramedic who helped her after horrific assault near Ballarat

There are things that Sissy Austin tries not to remember from the horrific day she was attacked by a stranger while running.

The now 31-year-old Gunditjmara, Keerray Woorroong and Djap Wurrung woman was brutally assaulted in bushland near Ballarat in early 2023 .

She describes it as "one of the hardest days" of her life.

Dizzy and bloodied, she managed to run four kilometres back to her car, where she called emergency services.

The perpetrator was never found.

Despite suffering a severe concussion and ongoing trauma after the incident, including an experience in hospital labelled "brutal and dehumanising" by a Victorian health minister , Sissy continued running.

She has become an outspoken advocate for the safety of women and gender diverse runners through her Take Back the Track