Jessica Michalofsky is running more than 900 km from Nelson to Victoria to continue her advocacy for a safe and regulated drug supply.

In October, she ran the equivalent of 14 marathons around the Ministry of Health building in Victoria following the death of her son 25-year-old son, Aubrey Michalofsky.

Aubrey died of a drug overdose last August in Nelson.

In this new marathon, Michalofsky left Nelson on May 21 and will stop in 14 communities before arriving in Victoria on June 25.

She told the Nelson Star her main mission is to correct the misconception that people experiencing homelessness and mental health and addictions issues, in the Downtown Eastside (Vancouver) and on Pandora Street (Victoria) die of toxic drugs.

鈥淭hose people have such a spectacle around them that it distances (the public) from the issue: 鈥楳y son doesn鈥檛 look like that, my family doesn鈥檛 live like that.鈥欌��

According to the BC Coroners Services鈥� statistics, there were 2,272 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in the province in 2022, and many of those people died in their own homes.

鈥淭he perception that this is only hardened 鈥榙rug addicts鈥� is incorrect,鈥� she said. 鈥淵oung people are dying, first-time users are dying, people who were just kind of dabbling with drugs are dying.鈥�

Aubrey was enrolled in Selkirk College鈥檚 law and justice studies program and in 2021 earned a diploma, as well as several awards.

Michalofsky said she did not expect to directly influence politicians with her running around the health ministry building, but she hoped media coverage would inform the public.

鈥淢y purpose was to get the public thinking, talking, asking questions. That is still my hope.鈥�

Mikalofsky said if her son had had a safe inhalation site he might still be alive. He had used harm reduction services in Nelson and Victoria, she stated that those need to be expanded.

鈥淗e died in a house in Beasley, where he was doing drugs with people who did drugs, because that is where the drugs were, and those people were his community for the time being. If he had had a regulated safe source of drugs he would have gone to that location had it been accessible.鈥�

Michalofsky said that although she is an experienced marathon runner, she has never done a multi-day run before.

鈥淚t is a long distance, I am 51 years old, and even though I have trained, tendonitis and injury are what I fear the most. My will to continue is firm, and I hope my body will cooperate.鈥�

READ MORE:

bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com
Like us on and follow us on