Bedke crosses the Sahara to combat domestic violence.

Tampa lawyer Michael Bedke ran as though his life depended on it.

Actually, it wasn't his life, but those of the hundreds of thousands of women who experience domestic violence each year.

Bedke, chair of the ABA commission on Domestic Violence, was one of nearly 600 runners from around the world who crossed the Sahara Desert of Morocco in the six-day, 150-mile "Marathon des Sables" (Marathon of the Sands) in April. Except for the nine liters of water and an open-sided Berber tent provided by organizers, participants in what is billed as the world's toughest foot race had to carry all of their own food and gear for the duration of the extreme marathon.

Bedke, a partner who heads the commercial lending and land use departments in the Tampa office of Rudnick & Wolf, used the run as a platform to raise awareness -- especially among males and those in the sports world -- about domestic violence. His quest has come to be known as the "Run for Peace: One man's journey to stop domestic violence."

Bedke, 38, also used the run to generate about $70,000 in contributions for the Spring of Tampa Bay, the oldest and busiest domestic violence shelter in Florida. Bedke -- who finished the race in the top third -- and his wife, Rachelle DesVaux Bedke, a federal prosecutor and chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, are co-chairs of the Shelter's annual spring fundraising campaign.

"The vast majority of men are not abusers, so they think that domestic violence has nothing to do with them," Bedke said. "But when they stand by or do nothing when they see an abusive situation, or hear a crude joke about partner abuse, they become part of the problem. All men, especially athletes who are considered role models, must get involved in defining what is and is not acceptable behavior in our society. Bystanders must be encouraged to take a strong stand against domestic violence. After all, every female victim of abuse is some man's mother, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker or relative."

Bedke was instrumental in creating and launching the ABA's "Steps to Safety: Be Safe. Be Sensible. Be Prepared." campaign. Through the project, hundreds of thousands of potentially life-saving brochures, which list...