YEAR OF THE WOMAN: Bre Lasley

Lillian Hepler staff writer

In honor of Year of The Woman, Utah State University Eastern is pro ling women whose voice makes a difference. One of those voices is Bre Lasley, a survivor of an attempted murder.

Lasley, at the time before the attack, had a normal and trauma-free life. Her focus was on the success of her business and the things that brought her joy from day to day. Lasley, like anyone else, enjoyed simple things, but didn’t realize that all the simple things such as being in the privacy of her own home, or even sleep- ing in the safety of her own room, were not so simple anymore.

Lasley, and her little sister Kaylie were at home one night, when Lasley heard a voice come from her bedroom window say, “hey.” Lasley initially shrugged it off thinking nothing of it until she heard the voice again saying “Hey girl, I’m coming in.” Quickly, she ran to her window but was too late, before her stood a 6-foot 2-inch sweaty, bald man in her room.

At the time Kaylie, Lasley’s little sister was asleep in her room downstairs, but eventually was awakened by the sound of Lasley ghting the intruder. Kaylie shortly after joined her sister.

Lasley, and her sister continued to ght the intruder. The man threw both Lasley and her sister down the basement stairs, where they stayed ghting the man in the dark.

Lasley, when getting the chance to call 911, realized the calls were never dispatched so when Kaylie got the chance, she took off to get help. While screaming and running down her neighborhood street, of cer Ben Hone from the Salt Lake City Police Department found Kaylie.

Of cer Hone rushed to the house where Lasley stayed ghting the man in her basement. Of cer Hone, with no clear vision of where the man was, took a blind shot and killed the man, saving Lasley. After physically recovering from several stab wounds, the ght was not yet over.

Lasley, struggled with anxiety, depression, fear, and more following the incident. She knew that the ght was just the beginning of her journey in overcoming the traumatizing event that her and her sister Kaylie were put through. Lasley, trying to nd her way to recovery, dis- covered that 80% of women don’t ght back towards their attackers, versus the 20% that do.

With that information Lasley created “Fight Like Girls,” a program that teaches women to fight not only physical altercations but whatever it is that their fight is in life from depression, guilt, eating disorders, etc. If someone else is ever caught experiencing the same struggles or is put in a similar situation, they will have the determination to keep fighting.