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When Julie Zarifeh's husband and son died 16 days apart, she thought she would never "get really happy again."
A year later, she is determined to prove the opposite. The Christchurch woman cycled through Sri Lanka, made a pilgrimage from France to Spain, and this week she was smiling as 40 primary school students received new bicycles from the funds raised.
Paul & Zed & # 39; Zarifeh, the founder of Seventhwave Wetsuits, 60, died of pancreatic cancer on November 23. His wife and children had cared for him at home and his last moments were peaceful.
GEORGE HEARD / STUFF
Barely two months after losing her husband and son in the space of a few weeks, Julie Zarifeh took advantage of her grief to positively impact the lives of young Kiwis. She has traveled Sri Lanka for a distance of 450 km and has raised enough funds to provide new bicycles to 45 children through the Variety Children's Charity.
READ MORE:
* Sam Zarifeh, teacher in Christchurch, died during a rafting trip
* Life story: Paul Zarifeh was conducive to success
Two weeks and two days later, Sam Zarifeh got into trouble while he was rafting with a group on the Landsborough River in Haast on the west coast. The raft swung over and he was the only one who did not arrive on shore.
"He was about to kiss the world … he was 27 years old, he had everything in his footsteps … it's really frustrating, while life is young and beautiful," said Julie Zarifeh .
JULIE ZARIFEH
About 200 people took part in a "paddle" Mass in memory of Paul Zarifeh, one of the founders of Seventhwave Wetsuits, on December 2nd.
Determined not to be handicapped by the trauma of two deaths in a short time, Zarifeh set out on the path of "active bereavement".
"I'm going to take care of it just by continuing [with] life … in fact, pressing the button fast forward and going harder, because you realize that life is actually extremely tenuous.
"I decided to make this wish list, or list of goals, and it 's gone.I start checking them and I felt that it was really what that Paul and Sam would like me to do. "
JULIE ZARIFEH
Julie Zarifeh is mourning the loss of her husband, Paul, and her son, Sam, sixteen days apart with "active bereavement".
She needed a break from Sumner, her 30-year-old home. She wanted a physical challenge. She searched online for a bike trip and "skipped" a fundraising race – a 450-kilometer hike through Sri Lanka for the Variety Children's Charity Foundation.
I felt good. Her husband and son were "very pro and very pro kids encouraging kids to go out in the open air".
Zarifeh left in February with six other people from New Zealand. They raised more than $ 30,000. Zarifeh collected $ 9,000 from the total and this week she presented 40 bikes to the children of Christchurch schools. Five more children will go to Haast on the occasion of the anniversary of Sam's rafting accident.
JULIE ZARIFEH
Samuel Zarifeh was 27 years old and "about to kiss the world" when he lost his life in a rafting accident.
Variety Executive Director Lorraine Taylor said that bicycles would change the lives of children.
Zarifeh was at home "all a month" before leaving again, this time to walk in the Camino de Santiago – a 900-day trek between France and Spain in 35 days.
She was one of six Australian and New Zealand pilgrims to travel as part of a documentary, Camino Skies, to be published next year.
JULIE ZARIFEH
Julie Zarifeh and her team traveled Sri Lanka 450 km in February. Helen Evans, Rachael Speedy, Paul Flay, Helen van der Werff, Paul van der Werff and Mike McRoberts all completed the trip.
She went to Australia in June for a training in positive psychology before traveling to Greece, Morocco and Jordan with her children, Jared, 27, and Kristi, 25, the last place where family will be able to become familiar with their heritage.
Zarifeh does not consider himself remarkable. Instead, she hoped to show another way of managing her grief: "It's good to continue living, to pursue goals and to stay happy.We will always honor the memories of Paul and Sam."
This involved in particular the installation of a sculpture on the Sumner esplanade. The donations received at Sam's funeral paid five seats, each representing a member of the Zarifeh family.
JULIE ZARIFEH
Paul Zarifeh was 60 years old when he lost his battle against pancreatic cancer. His family was still in mourning when they lost another member, Sam, just 16 days later.
A Sumner swim in the middle of winter for the Zarifeh had attracted about 200 people and was to become an annual event. The next step is the New York City Marathon, which aims to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation. "Then we'll see what next year will bring," Zarifeh said.
"Mourning inevitably leads to feelings of hopelessness, loss, extreme sadness and all the rest.
"I think if you give yourself permission to sit with these feelings, because you can not make them leave, but you also have plenty of time to do good things for yourself or for others,. "
JULIE ZARIFEH
The Zarifeh family, from left to right: Sam, Kristi, Julie, Paul and Jared.
The general director of the Foundation for Mental Health, Shaun Robinson, called Zarifeh "inspiration".
"I know that his strength and grace after his terrible defeats will allow others to go through difficult times."
JULIE ZARIFEH
A sculpture of seats for each member of the Zarifeh family is now at Sumner Beach.
GEORGE HEARD / STUFF
Julie, photographed after 40 bicycles were given to deserving Kiwi children this week, will give five more to the children of Haast, where her son Sam was killed in a rafting accident.
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