Bombing survivor Gill Hicks’ feet join team running for mental health and murder victims Chelsea Ireland and her boyfriend Lukasz

A terrorist bombing survivor is sending her feet to support two Adelaide parents tackling the bucket list run of their murdered children.

John Mannion from the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation holds the first prosthetic feet made for Adelaide's Gill Hicks, who was in a London bombing almost 20 years ago. He is taking the feet to run with his team in the New York marathon. Picture: Dean Martin

An Adelaide marathon team – including the parents of a young couple murdered in the state’s South-East – is flying to New York with London terrorist bombing survivor Dr Gill Hicks’ first prosthetic feet.

The feet, now covered with henna from their latest trip to India, were handed to the 10-member team tackling the gruelling run by Adelaide’s Ms Hicks, who lost both legs in the shocking London Underground train bombing 19 years ago.

Ms Hicks told the group about lying on the ground in the bomb’s aftermath, about holding the hand of a woman from New Zealand, and the power of human connections.

Her feet have been travelling the world over almost two decades to help continue building those connections, and this time they will be carried by Breakthrough Mental Health Foundation chief John Mannion in the November 3 run.

Gill Hicks with her art projection, "Blink of an Eye", in 2020. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“They have painted red toenails because red is Gill’s colour of power,” Mr Mannion says of the feet that will be with him during the marathon.

Ms Hicks life changed in seconds when the London bombing killed 26 other passengers travelling between Kings Cross-St Pancras and Russell Square stations, and injured a further 340, ripping away both Ms Hicks’ legs at the knees.

The South Australian of the Year in 2015 has been an advocate for peace ever since.

John Mannion holding the first prosthetic feet made for Adelaide's Gill Hicks, who was in the London bombing almost 20 years ago. Picture: Dean Martin

Greg Ireland and Magda Pearce warming up at Victoria Square in the city in readiness for running in the New York marathon, in honour of their children. Picture Mark Brake

Among the Mr Mannion’s running team dressed in sponsor Lululemon outfits will be Greg Ireland, who is tackling his first marathon after learning the event was on the bucket list of his daughter Chelsea who was murdered along with her boyfriend Lukasz in 2020.

By Mr Ireland’s side will be Lukasz’s mother Magda Pearce, the two helping the team raise $100,000 for mental health research.

Lukasz Klosowski and Chelsea Ireland were horrifically gunned down in the South-East in 2020. Picture: Supplied By Family

Chelsea was just 19 when she and her boyfriend Lukasz were murdered by Lukasz’s father Pawel Klosowski after he flew into an alcohol-fuelled rage at a property near Millicent in the state’s South-East.

Klosowski pleaded guilty and is serving a 34-year jail term.

Mr Mannion said the group is among a group of 150 runners travelling to New York along with Adelaide trainer Anna Liptak’s team Adventure Time Travel.

“Funds raised will be used for research grants next year focused on young people, eating disorders, depression and indigenous mental health,” he said.

Another team member is The Lane vineyard chef Tom Robinson who cooked a five-course meal at the fundraiser event to reflect the five New York boroughs runners will pass through.

Originally published as Bombing survivor Gill Hicks’ feet join team running for mental health and murder victims Chelsea Ireland and her boyfriend Lukasz