Paralympic champion cyclist and swimmer Kieran Modra farewelled at Centennial Park funeral
Paralympic champion Kieran Modra has been remembered as a “true friend”, an indefatigable athlete and a doting father at a funeral service attended by hundreds on Thursday.
SA News
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It was the final tribute to a devoted father, loving husband and champion athlete who refused to give up.
In front of hundreds of friends and family today, Paralympic champion Kieran Modra’s wife and former riding partner Kerry, led the farewells to her “true friend”, two weeks after his death in a fatal crash north of Adelaide.
The 47-year-old was much more than a champion, she said, he was gentle and humble, and adored his daughters, Makala, Holly and Janae.
“Today I have to stand here and say goodbye to the most generous and kind man I’ll ever know,” Mrs Modra said
“I’m lost and alone without you, my heart is broken. And I would give anything to be able to able to hold you one more time. One more kiss, or just one more squeeze of the hand to know that you’re there.
“Our girls miss you so dearly. I can’t express the pain I feel without you, my sweet, loving husband. I will miss you forever.”
Mrs Modra reflected on the times she cherished most – night’s watching movies, hiking as a group, trips in the family campervan and chats around the campfire.
She praised her husband’s achievements and said he was “one that always stood by you”.
“To our three beautiful girls and I, he was always husband and Dad,” she said.
“The closeness of our family always brought him such great joy, he would often say to me: ‘How did we get so lucky’.”
Mrs Modra said her final goodbye with a kiss on her late husband’s coffin before it was moved slowly through a guard of honour formed by more than 500 mourners.
On November 13, Mr Modra, a five time Paralympic Gold Medalist, was hit and killed by a car on the Sturt Highway at Kingsford, near Gawler.
He was cycling to Clare, from his home at Hallett Cove, to meet friends when the incident occurred. He died at the scene.
The driver of the Kia sedan – a 26-year-old Greenwith man – was reported over the crash. He will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.
Mr Modra often rode by himself and usually cycled long distances to compete or train with fellow athletes.
As an Australian Paralympic swimmer and tandem cyclist, he won five gold and five bronze medals at eight Paralympic Games between 1988 and 2016.
He also claimed two silver medals at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. That same year he was named a Member of the Order of Australia medal for significant service to sport, and to low-vision or blind people.
Mr Modra was the second-youngest of a family of four, born in Port Lincoln in 1972.
He grew up on a farm at Greenpatch, about 20km north of Port Lincoln, which is now run by his brother, Mark.
Their father, Theo, owned Thistle Island, southeast of Port Lincoln, and ran sheep there before selling it in the 1980s.
Along with his two brothers and sister, Kieran Modra attended Immanuel College in the 1980s and Can:Do 4Kids Townsend House at Hove, which provides services for low-vision children.
THE ADVERTISER ATTENDED WITH THE FAMILY’S PERMISSION