It was while listening to a morning podcast, earbuds stuck in her ears and waiting for her train down to Toronto like she does most mornings, that a Newmarket mother-of-two experienced the most traumatic moment of her life.

The woman, who does not want to release her name for fear of reprisal, had her purse grabbed from behind and yanked violently.

"I don’t know how, but when I looked down, I still had (the purse) on my arm and I pulled back," she said. "I started screaming bloody murder because I know that would deter someone. I pulled, he pulled back and I fell on the ground and I started kicking. I don’t know how, but I just kept fighting."

As the 42-year-old fought valiantly against the would-be thief while at the GO Station at Davis Drive and Main Street on Aug. 13, just past 7:15 a.m., she looked over and saw a man at the Viva bus stop.

Although the attacker gave up and ran off behind the Carpet One store, she remained vigilant and continued to scream, as she kept thinking he might just return.

Crying and hysterical, she looked over at the man at the bus stop and he remained in place, just looking at her.

In the following minutes, as she sat crying on the ground, several people walked by her and the only witness, the man across the street, boarded his bus.

No one but a bus driver, who was an older woman, stopped to inquire if she was alright.

The victim is left with several minor injuries and strong emotions, including anger at her attacker.

"I work in downtown Toronto and I’ve been verbally assaulted before, but never physically," she said. "The irony of this is that it should happen in Newmarket in the morning. I felt mostly angry because I am in so much physical pain and I’m upset that my life has been put on hold because of this asshole."