Jessica Stenson and family fly out for Paris Olympics tilt

SA champion runner and mum Jessica Stenson has revealed her secret weapon that will fuel her marathon run at the Paris Olympics.

France will be a true family affair for champion Adelaide marathon runner Jessica Stenson, who has revealed her secret weapon for the Paris Olympics.

Chatting to The Advertiser before flying out on the first leg of her journey to the Olympics, Stenson said while it may be her third global event, this would be the first time her whole family would be there to watch her compete.

“That’s what really excites me,” Stenson said.

“Billy’s at an age now where he’s really excited about it and he has been talking about it at kindy.

“It’ll be my first marathon that my entire family will be at.”

And with husband Dylan Stenson and baby daughter Ellie – who will be 11 months by the time of the race – it’s a milestone Stenson has hardly given herself a chance to really dwell on.

Jessica and Dylan Stenson with kids Billy, 4, Ellie, 9, months, at Adelaide Airport heading to Paris via Gold coast for a half marathon. Picture: Tom Huntley

Stenson recorded a personal best of 2:24:01 in her qualifying run in Korea in April this year – six months after giving birth to baby Ellie – but the jubilation was delayed a few weeks after a lengthy appeals process.

But now it’s going for gold and developing a tactical plan to the hilly course after a half-marathon on the Gold Coast on Saturday before flying to Zurich for altitude training, then France.

The Australian women's marathon team of Sinead Diver and Genevieve Gregson, and Stenson, all mums, and will be preparing together for the race in southern France.

“I think we just all understand what it takes in terms of a village and the logistics and the planning, and I think we already feel like a very cohesive team,” Stenson said.

Stenson, who took with her a compendium of drawings and inspirational messages from Naracoorte Primary School students she said would keep her on track and motivated during the big race.

Originally published as Jessica Stenson and family fly out for Paris Olympics tilt