AMAZING GRACE

A survivor of child sexual abuse who was silenced for many years, Grace Tame fought tirelessly to reclaim her voice and rewrite the law. The newly crowned Australian of the Year speaks to marie claire about turning her pain into power, starting a revolution and why love always wins

- KATHRYN MADDEN

Grace Tame will not be defined by darkness. The 26-year-old Tasmanian is a self-described optimist who finds beauty in nature and solace in salty sea swims. Her piercing blue eyes light up when she speaks on issues she’s passionate about, and soften when talk turns to her boyfriend and tight-knit family. She’s a keen runner who entered her first marathon last year, and won, and a talented artist who toured the US as comedian John Cleese’s illustrator. And she’s a survivor of child sexual abuse, whose courageous advocacy helped overturn oppressive “victim gag laws” in Tasmania and the Northern Territory, and earned her the title of 2021 Australian of the Year.

“I get frustrated when people only want to focus on the negative details – tell me about your rape; take us back to your darkest moment,” she says as we chat on a rainy Thursday after the marie claire photoshoot. “When there’s all this rage and widespread shock, we can get stuck in a cycle of darkness – and that’s not productive.”