The sun will have yet to rise as Jasmina Pedic laces up her runners on the morning of the 8th. Her first few steps will be down the driveway of her Noble Park home, one foot in front of the next, right and then left. It’s all about keeping a steady rhythm as Victoria wakes up all around her for yet another normal day. Except for this lone runner in pink, it’s a day unlike any other.
If all goes to plan, she’ll be striding into San Remo at 2.30pm the following day, near some rocks by the sea. She’ll have been running for 36 hours straight by then, more than 95 km from home. Her legs will be weary, her feet will be sore and her body numb from the gargantuan effort that would have taken her that far, but it will hardly matter when she sets foot in the place where her father Rasim was taken from her seven years ago.
This will be Pedic’s first time back since the accident, and it will no doubt be an emotional one. It will be painful not just for her, but for her mother and brother who will be following behind her in their car for the entire journey. But the Ashburton striker is determined to go the distance to highlight the importance of safety awareness while rock fishing.
“Losing a loved one that close to your heart creates a wound that for many is impossible to even imagine,” she says. “I have hope and courage that by completing this run for my Dad and achieving the physical challenges I have set for myself, I will begin to finally overcome the grief and longing I have for my father. I hope to get the message out there so no other kids and families would have to go through what we went through by losing a father and a husband.”
‘The Punchbowl’ in San Remo has long been a notoriously dangerous rock-fishing spot, with up to five lives lost there since 2000. Pedic hopes that her run will raise awareness about the inherent dangers during rock-fishing while also putting pressure on local government to close down hazardous fishing spots.
The talented footballer also hopes to raise money for Life Saving Victoria during this lung-busting 95km run, and help promote their mission to prevent aquatic related deaths and injuries in all Victorian communities. She has raised $3,000 of her $5,000 target with two more days to go and hopes more people can lend a hand by chipping in.
On 9 May 2006, Rasim Pedic drowned after he either slipped or was swept from the rocks in poor conditions while fishing with friends. 7 years on, on the very same date, his daughter Jasmina will be winding her way down the Princes, South Gippsland and Bass highways on her pilgrimage to the Punchbowl, hoping deep in her heart that she will have gotten one step closer to ensuring such tragedy never happens again.
To help raise money towards Pedic’s run, visit https://give.everydayhero.com/au/jasminapedic