Parents of murdered SA couple run in New York marathon

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Running a marathon requires not only physical endurance but also mental toughness, something Greg Ireland and Magda Pearce have had to rely on in recent years. United by grief, they're tackling this weekend's New York marathon, running for their children, who were killed before fulfilling a bucket list of dreams.

Transcript

00:00With every step he takes, Greg Ireland has daughter Chelsea in his thoughts.

00:07Been through my mind a lot. I mean, even just doing my ordinary runs, the number of Ks I've

00:15done with tears in my eyes has been, you'd probably be surprised.

00:19I'm a little bit stiff from this morning.

00:22Side by side with him training for the New York Marathon has been Magda Pierce, a duo

00:27united by grief.

00:29I'm sure I'll be a mess. I don't expect any difference, but also there will be a lot of

00:35happy tears as well.

00:3719-year-old Chelsea Ireland and partner Lukasz Klosowski were shot dead by Lukasz's father

00:43in country South Australia more than four years ago. Now the two parents are fulfilling

00:49two of Chelsea's primary school bucket list goals, running a marathon and going to New

00:54York.

00:55The emotional side of it is going to be the big killer, I think. It could be a gibbering

01:01idiot by the end of it, I think.

01:02Magda Pierce knows running the 42 kilometres in the world's biggest marathon will be a

01:07struggle but believes she'll be inspired by her son.

01:11I almost feel that there will be that moment that you'll get to me that Lukasz would have

01:18said to me, Mum, surely it's time that you're proud. You're proud of everyone else but not

01:25just yourself.

01:26The pair has raised more than $23,000 for an Adelaide mental health group, but primarily

01:32they're running to remember and pay tribute.

01:35I'm not going to be the fastest on the course. I'll have a lot of time to reflect and think

01:42and think why am I doing this.

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