Countless women across the Canterbury region will identify with Vaseva Simpson; even more will find inspiration in her story.

On Sunday 18 March, Va lined up in Hansen Park for the annual Sport Canterbury 6km event that is part of the annual Star Media City2Surf fun run and walk.

The distance was straightforward, designed to be realistic and encourage people of all agesand levels of ability to take part. Va’s goal however, represented a much greater journey – a profound sense of responsibility that is about future and family.

Va came to join her husband in Christchurch in May 2011, leaving her home in Fiji when her husband “put down his big island foot” with this ultimatum: You come or I’m coming home.

“I scrambled out of Fiji so fast,” she recalls. In her new Christchurch home, life became busy, with a morning shift (6am to 2:30pm) and a growing family.

Waking at 5am each day, Va irons school uniforms, packs sports bags and prepares lunches. At 2:30pm, she picks up her two youngest children from her husband (as he leaves for a late shift) and makes a mad dash to school pick-up.

On Saturday mornings, there is one hour each week when Va heads to Hagley Park – on her own at first, and then meeting up with the Canterbury Fijian women’s walking group.

“This is time out from my busy life as a mom to keep myself fit and healthy – not for myself, but for my children.”

At the age of 22, Va lost her own mother to cancer.

“Her fight finally ended after spending over a year bed ridden at home in Fiji. My mom passed at the time I assume any young woman would need their mom the most, at the age when a young woman needs her mom’s advice on life.”

When Va committed to take part in the 2018 Sport Canterbury 6km event, her walks took on a special meaning.

“I’ve made it my goal in life to keep myself fit and healthy. I want to be there for all my children…I want to die a natural death like dying in my sleep.”

Va’s employer, Datacom, is a supporter of The Star Media City2Surf each year. Datacom is a shining example of a workplace that values staff wellness. The company actively encourages staff to bring family and friends, and come along and enjoy the run, walk and fun day out. As a result of this support from Datacom, Va invited a friend to take on the Sport Canterbury 6km event - Datacom generously covered the cost for both Va and Luisa.

“It was the first time for both of us to do something like this, and we loved every bit of it. We joined the Sport Canterbury 6km walk, and we were just in awe of the turnout. We walked along some pretty amazing people and most of them women, some of them old enough to be our grandmothers still powering away at their age.”

The team at Healthy Families Christchurch connects community and church groups as well as workplaces with upcoming events, in line with Sport Canterbury’s vision: “More People, More Active, More Often.” It was through Losana Korovulavula, from Sport Canterbury's Healthy Families Christchurch team, that Va originally became involved with the Saturday morning Canterbury Fijian women's walking group.

In 2019, Va may return to the start line – as a Healthy Families Christchurch ambassador.

“I am so eager to do this again next year and even pick up my pace a little bit and try the Sport Canterbury 6km run. I see women here running and I think to myself, ‘If they can do it, it can be done.' I think the trick is we just need to start, and keep setting little achievable goals for ourselves.”

Va places value on spiritual as well as physical fitness – reinforcing the importance of her time on Saturday mornings to walk, reflect and reconnect.

“It was a privilege to do the Sport Canterbury 6km event as part of The Star City2Surf this year, and I would encourage all Pasifika women to join. This year there was an awesome turn out by a group, and they covered the finish line in a sea of bright green t-shirts that read #PAEORA on the back - which means health and wellbeing.

“My call goes out to all my Fijian and Pasifika women: Let’s do life together by helping build and encourage each other. In a world that is developing so fast, a world that changes in a heartbeat, let us control the one thing we can - our health and well-being.”