Ultramarathon runner Diana Nicholls has completed a 200-kilometre run in memory of her close friend Eleanor Bryant, who died while protecting children from an out-of-control truck at a preschool in Riddells Creek, Australia.
Bryant, 43, was working as a speech pathologist at the Riddells Creek preschool in November 2024 when the truck crashed through the school fence. She moved children out of its path but was killed in the incident.
Nicholls completed the gruelling challenge over almost 40 hours, finishing late on Saturday night as friends, relatives and members of the local community rallied behind her.
The run was held to raise money for the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund, which aims to support children and families in regional areas by helping fund allied health professionals and scholarships.
“Definitely a mix of emotions,” Nicholls said. “The thought of I’m only doing it because she’s not here is a really tough one. But I’m also really proud to be doing it.”
Bryant’s husband, Tim, said he was trying to help their children, Charlie and Tully, cope with the loss while keeping their mother’s memory present in everyday life.
“Grief is a rollercoaster. Grief’s not fun. But I’m trying to make it as positive as possible,” he said.
“We talk about the kids and I. Eleanor’s still part of our everyday conversation. And that’s the example I’m trying to set for the kids, because they’re her greatest legacy.”
Bryant’s daughter Tully also sent encouragement to Nicholls during the run, telling her: “Keep going, Diana, you guys.”
The memorial fund’s scholarship programme is designed to support regional students pursuing careers in paediatric allied health, with the aim of improving access to services for children living outside Australia’s major cities.
Tim said his wife would have been uncomfortable with the attention but proud that her work was continuing through the fund.
“She’d be a little bit embarrassed. She’d be a little bit chuffed. But she would be embarrassed. She was never one for the limelight. She just had a way of making people feel special,” he said.
