Scott Selwood continues brother Adam's legacy with solo marathon as Isaac Smith takes on South Africa run
The 35-year-old
Collingwood assistant coach
was due to run in South Africa's Big Five Marathon before pulling out of the trip in the wake of
Adam's death last month
.
Hawthorn and Geelong premiership hero Isaac Smith took his place — but Scott still committed to the cause for Carrie Bickmore's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer.
Scott ran 42.2km around Albert Park in Melbourne while Smith prepared to hit the trails in South Africa among a group of high-profile Aussies.
'You would have been forgiven if you weren't up for it today brother,' Joel Selwood wrote in praise of his youngest sibling.
'But instead you did it the hardest way possible — underprepared, freezing cold and ran alone against the clock.
'42.2km and smashed it. Proud of you Uncle Scooter.'
In spite of the circumstances, Scott finished the solo effort in an impressive three hours and two minutes — an average of 4:19/km.
Scott and Smith have together raised over $55,000.
'Not Africa but the importance to the cause stays the same!' Scott wrote.
'I learnt some very hard lessons about being underprepared for a marathon also! So did my toenails!
'To everyone who has donated.. a very big THANK YOU. This is an incredible cause and with incredible people. It wasn't mean to be for me in Africa but that's when you're lucky to have great people to step in and support (like) Isaac Smith. Good luck team!'
Bickmore's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer took two dozen people to South Africa for the Big Five marathon and half-marathon.
Smith finished in 5:33:22, just behind Bickmore's co-host Tommy Little (5:28:55) and Richmond premiership players Brandon Ellis (5:06:11) and Trent Cotchin (5:12:08).
Nedd Brockmann won the marathon in 3:15:31.
Bickmore herself finished the half-marathon, won by Cotchin's wife Brooke (2:26:31), in 4:05:16.
Bickmore said Scott had chosen the South Africa marathon to help him grieve his twin brothers Adam and Troy, who
took his own life in February
.
'It has been the most gut-wrenching time for the Selwood family, a much-loved football family who have tragically lost two brothers in very short succession,' she said last month.
'It is the most shocking situation for their family ... in the midst of all of this, Scott decided he wanted to come on the Big Five adventure with us.
'At the time, it was something to give him purpose, to give him a reason to keep running every day, as he and his family were navigating their grief.
'And he was doing such an incredible job.'
Smith, who played with Joel at Geelong, took on the task of replacing Scott in South Africa despite having a newborn at home.
'There wasn't really a question because they've done so many amazing things for so many people,' he said.
'They're a beautiful family and I'll do anything to help them out.'
Adam died not long before he was set to honour Troy by running a half-marathon for a mental health charity.
Like Smith with Scott, some of Adam's former West Coast teammates and other friends stepped up amid the grief.
Scott said he was inspired by Adam, and Bickmore and her late husband Greg, to take on his own marathon challenge.
'I vividly remember her looking into the camera and summoning the courage to speak about her deepest pain of the illness and the loss of her husband,' he wrote.
'It was a type of courage that goes beyond what you see on a football field, this was real, raw courage. As I watched, I felt goosebumps on my arms.
'Recently, I experienced the loss of a brother, though to a different illness, and the pain was incredibly real and deep.
'My brother was always there to help others, and continuing his legacy, even for a different cause, feels incredibly important.
'Although I still feel the deep pain of losing him, channelling my energy into a cause like the one Carrie has created feels like a meaningful way to make a difference.'
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