It’s not every day you have an item of running merchandise named after you, but I guess if you’ve been participating for an event’s entire history, you’ve earned your reflective stripes.
Yorta Yorta elder and 2023 National Senior Sports Award recipient Aunty Pam Pederson has run in all 26 Mother’s Day Classic events and is warming up for her 27th this weekend, at 80 years of age.
“I’ll be 81 in a few weeks, so I’m really proud of my achievement,” Aunty Pam said.
“I don’t know how many other people my age have taken part for 27 years.”
Aunty Pam recalls the inaugural event at The Tan in Melbourne, saying she often reflected on the disorganisation with her husband.
“I can remember vividly, we used to run with a running group and the (former) premier of Victoria Joan Kirner started the race,” Aunty Pam said.
“We didn’t know whether we were going this way or that way, because it was the first time.
“There weren’t too many people taking part that day, and it was freezing cold.”
The Mother’s Day Classic has since become a well-oiled machine, with events held in all states and territories of Australia.
This year, Aunty Pam has a running shirt — the ‘Aunty Pam Running Top’ — named after her, that is available to buy from the shop on the Mother’s Day Classic website and at the merchandise stalls at events across the country this weekend.
When foundation director and chief executive Zara Lawless approached her about naming the shirt after her, Aunty Pam said she “couldn’t get over it”.
“I thought, oh my gosh, are you sure? It’s so wonderful,” she said.
“Fancy thinking about me, that’s very special.”
Aunty Pam will run the 4km distance at the Mother’s Day Classic in Melbourne this year, but before that on Saturday, she’ll be helping to sell Aunty Pam tops and other merchandise in the event marquee in the state’s capital.
“I’ll get such joy out of that, especially talking to the kids,” Aunty Pam said.
Aunty Pam had her own battle with breast cancer in 2016 and said while she had always felt connected to the event and the people involved with it, her personal experience gave an extra layer of meaning to it.
“I was diagnosed just before the Mother’s Day run and I’ll never forget it because that was the first time I cried,” Aunty Pam said.
“When I got to Princes Bridge from up at Flinders St, I was looking down at everyone — all the pink and placards — and it hit me and it just looked beautiful,” Aunty Pam said.
“A sea of pink, and I see the messages people had written on their placards.
“Then I went down to see my friends who were running and I told them I’d been diagnosed with breast cancer and, gosh, I was so upset.
“I felt so proud that I was taking part because here I was diagnosed with breast cancer and taking part with other people who had been as well.”
Aunty Pam plans to keep on taking part in the event and said it would be rewarding to notch 30 events on her belt.
“I just have to keep myself well because I’ll be 81 in a few weeks,” she said.
While she’s been involved in various ways for all 27 years, including delivering the official Acknowledgement of Country at the event opening, Aunty Pam has been a national ambassador of the event for the past few years.
The magenta-coloured lightweight mesh running top named after Aunty Pam costs $60. Sales help raise awareness and funds for breast and ovarian cancer research.
It can be purchased here: NEW - Aunty Pam Running Top (mothersdayclassic.com.au)