B.C. woman running a marathon a day to end toxic drug death

Twenty-five-year-old Aubrey Michalofsky had recently completed Selkirk College’s Law and Justice program, graduating with awards in 2021. On Aug. 30, the day before International Overdose Awareness Day, Aubrey died of fentanyl poisoning.

Just over a month later, his mother, Jessica Michalofsky, 51, ran a marathon around the 600-meter block that houses the Ministry of Health in Victoria. She has run a marathon every weekday since, and plans to continue until the provincial government does something meaningful in the fight against toxic drug deaths.

It takes Michalofsky 71 laps to complete 42.2 kilometres, and she runs five days a week. “Grief was making me feel crazy,” Michalofsky says. “I knew that Aubrey’s death had been preventable and I had to do something.”

Michalofsky is running to put pressure on the B.C. government to respond to the seven-year-long toxic drug public health crisis. The leading cause of death for 19-39-year-olds is toxic drugs. For 40-59 year-olds, it’s the second leading cause of death, and six people die in B.C. from overdoses every day. The majority of those deaths occur in private residences, and many are young men in the trades.

“This data [from the B.C. coroner’s report] flies in the face of the popular perception of the opioid crisis, which tends to portray toxic drug death as happening on the street and to persons experiencing homelessness,” Michalofsky says.

While the B.C. government has acknowledged that providing drug users with alternatives to the toxic black market supply is the safe way forward, Michalofsky says they haven’t taken any action to actually provide those alternatives. “Only a very small fraction of people in B.C. who struggle with drug use have access to safer drugs. The rest play Russian roulette each and every time they take drugs.”

Michalofsky is asking the B.C. minister of health, Adrian Dix, to provide evidence that the government is rolling out safe supply as per their 2021 announcement. She has questions, and she won’t stop until she sees action. “If safe supply is so crucial, where can I get it in rural communities?” she asks. “If my son or daughter is going through withdrawal, trying to get off street drugs, where can I send them so that they don’t end up turning to toxic black market drugs? If I’m a casual drug taker, and I want to experiment with drugs, how can I make sure I’m not going to die?”

Running to create social change

Calling herself an adult-onset runner, Michalofsky began running in her late 30s, running road races for several years before jumping into triathlon events. She completed Ironman Penticton on Aug. 28–two days before her son died. Michalofsky had plans to head to the Kootenays with Aubrey post-race for a week’s vacation. “He had died only hours before I arrived in Nelson,” she says.

Aubrey began using drugs when he was 17. At the time of his death, he had been living with his father, Rae Pryor, in the small B.C. community of Winlaw. Aubrey had enrolled in a methadone treatment program but struggled to find transportation to the city of Nelson to make appointments and pick up his allotted dose, as is the case for many people who live in rural communities or don’t have access to vehicles. He left the program five weeks before his death.

“Running as a political protest is not new–many people run for humanitarian and political reasons,” says Michalofsky. “And of course, in Canada, we have Terry Fox to thank for showing us how one differently abled man was able to start a revolution in cancer care.”

His mother describes Aubrey as a deeply compassionate person. He had expressed interest in joining a restorative justice program. Michelofsky says she sees what she’s doing as a form of embodied restorative justice: “We are using our bodies to effect social change. And I say we, because it’s not just me anymore. Every day, more and more people come to the Ministry of Health and run with me.”

A community of support

After 14 days of marathons, Michalofsky found herself facing injury–tibialis anterior tendonitis. She tried walking the distance in a walking cast, but that also become too painful. She didn’t want to quit, but knew she needed to take a few days off to heal. Michalofsky posted on social media, asking for people to come out and run for her. “I was flabbergasted when over 20 people showed up in a single day. Some of them were runners from my running community, some were friends and family members, and most amazingly, some were people who had seen my story on the news,” she says.

While Michalofsky is back to running, people continue to join her. Some have a direct connection to her story–they too have lost family members to toxic drugs; some are simply people who want to help. “One day a big group of new parents with babies in strollers came down with signs that said ‘Babies 4 Safe Supply.'” Michalofsky says they have returned every week, and Wednesdays are now called Babies Day. “It’s extremely heartwarming. And it’s helping me in my grief.”

Michalofsky welcomes the support. “If you’re in Victoria, come down and run or walk with me. If you’re not in the city, consider starting your own run. You could run a lap around your MLA’s office–make a few cardboard signs and invite your friends: consider making it a weekly event,” suggests Michalofsky.

On Friday, the one-month anniversary of her run, a rally for safe supply will be held at the intersection of Blanshard and Pandora, where Jessica runs. Michalofsky also asks supporters to share her social media posts on Facebook and Instagram because, as she notes, “In the political world, it’s all about exposure.”

“I’m trying to embarrass the government,” she says. “I’m trying to prompt them to take action and give this public health crisis the attention it deserves and stop preventable death. If it takes somebody’s mom to do that, I’m game.”

posted Saturday November 5th
by Running Magazine