"…but I still felt the effects of child abuse. So what I ended up doing was putting together a project ten years ago called Bike Across America -- Voices for Children, Bike Across America. I went to Assumption College, to our administrators, and I asked them to support me for this cause. And I wanted to cycle across the country to break the silence of child sexual abuse.…… And also, other victims have come up to me for the first time and told me their story. People have called me and told me about you know ‘my Grandfather just passed away and I’ve had this secret. And now I can finally say something’. And I encourage victims to go from being a victim to a victor in life."
Ann McCarron was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1963. Growing up in a very Irish Catholic family, Ann lived with her parents and three brothers in a part of Quincy called ‘Houghs Neck’. Ann grew up in a loving home but when she was 7 years old she was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. While in the hospital, trying to get better, she was sexually abused by her pediatrician. Ann kept the abuse secret until she was thirty-five years old. Since then she has dedicated her life to making people aware of child sexual abuse. Ann always has had a passion for sports. Working at Assumption College as head sports director, dealing with the intramural sports and other activities on campus, has allowed Ann to be able to heal from the abuse. She says that sports have helped her be strong along with being a single mother. Ann has made sure that children have a voice and have the courage to speak out. She teaches her son this as well. She wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of what goes on and what we can do to stop it. In this interview, Ann describes her experiences of growing from a ‘victim to a victor’ in life.