Twenty years ago, Trisha Meili was known to the world only as "The Central Park Jogger," the victim of a beating and rape so brutal it sparked international headlines and discussion about violence in modern society.

It took 14 years for Meili to reveal her identity and tell her story of survival and recovery in a best-selling memoir, "I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility." On Sept. 14, she will come to Chicago to discuss her journey of physical and spiritual healing at two free speaking events sponsored by DePaul University’s Department of Management.

Meili will address students, faculty and staff at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8206, at 1:30 p.m., and hold a reading and book signing at Barnes & Noble at DePaul, on the concourse level of the DePaul Center, at 5 p.m.

"I’m very excited to be coming to DePaul to speak and kick off the new school year," Meili said. "I want to let students know that they can do more than they think is possible, including overcoming adversity. I hope what happened to me never happens to anyone else, but from it I can share lessons about recovery, no matter what challenge you face. There’s always a chance for hope and possibility."

Meili was a 28-year-old Yale MBA graduate working as an investment banker on Wall Street when she stepped into New York’s Central Park for a run shortly after 9 p.m. on April 19, 1989. Hours later, two men walking in the park found her crumpled in a ravine, nearly dead from a vicious beating and rape. Doctors at Metropolitan Hospital were initially uncertain whether she would survive a coma, 75 percent blood loss, severe head and brain injuries and exposure, but with their care and her tenacity, she did.

The horror of her ordeal brought an outpouring of support and love from her family, friends, healthcare workers, co-workers and strangers. Meili, who does not remember the attack or the weeks that followed, credits this support as key to her recovery, which began with relearning simple things —such as rolling over, telling time, buttoning her blouse and identifying everyday objects.

Meili eventually returned to her job at Salomon Brothers, where she worked until 1998. In 2003 she published her memoir and emerged from anonymity to tell the world she was not a victim but a survivor.

Since then, she has addressed groups across the country, offering lessons on how to manage through times of unpredictable change, whether personal, professional, economic or spiritual. She uses her story to encourage people to overcome life’s obstacles.

Meili also donates her time to organizations who aided in her healing, including The Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, Conn., where she did much of her rehabilitation. She also supports the Achilles Track Club, a worldwide organization that helps people with disabilities participate in mainstream athletics. With its help, Meili ran the 1995 New York Marathon. She also was among the relay runners who carried the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch through New York City. Meili has won numerous awards for her leadership and courage.

"Trisha is someone who had everything going for her and then it all changed in one night—a night from which she barely survived," said Scott Young, chair of the management department. "Her resilient effort to overcome her personal catastrophe is inspiring, and we can learn from her that it is possible to overcome terrible events that may happen to us."

For more information on the events, call (312) 362-5202.


Editors Note: Reporters interested in attending the events and/or interviewing Meili during her Chicago visit should contact Robin Florzak, DePaul Media Relations, at 312-362-8592 or rflorzak@depaul.edu.