Former GIANTS captain Callan Ward will this weekend take on one of the world’s most iconic running events, but for the former skipper, the New York City Marathon is about much more than crossing the finish line. 

Ward, who retired at the end of last season after a remarkable 18-year-career, will travel to New York to take on the 42.2km trek in support of Rio’s Legacy. 

A charity dedicated to improving access to children’s hospice care in Australia, Rio’s Legacy was established by Ryan and Karen Fowler following the heartbreaking loss of their son, Rio, who died from a rare condition in 2018, before his second birthday. 

Inspired by their own experience, Ryan and Karen founded the charity to support other families navigating the unimaginable challenges of a child’s serious illness and loss. A key part of their mission is raising funds to help build more children’s hospices to help provide essential care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. 

Ward and his wife Ruby heard of Rio’s story in 2023 and have since formed a strong friendship with the Fowlers and have played a meaningful role in advocating for Rio’s Legacy. 

Click here to donate to Rio’s Legacy. 

Now, in the spirit of raising further awareness, Ward will tackle the New York City Marathon this weekend alongside Ryan and three others. 

“There’s a team of five of us running for Rio’s Legacy,” Ward said.  

“Ryan has always taken on different challenges to raise awareness. He’s done some pretty incredible long runs to raise funds, including running from Brisbane to Western Sydney. 

“So now he’s taking on something big like the New York City Marathon to get more eyes on the charity. It’s such a great cause to be involved with.”  

While the opportunity to run in New York was an exciting prospect, Ward admitted he initially had doubts about whether he would be physically ready for the challenge. 

Having undergone knee surgery in the middle of last year after rupturing his ACL, Ward was still working his way back to full fitness when Ryan approached him about taking part. 

“I loved the idea, but I wasn’t sure I had it in me,” Ward said.  

“I didn’t know how my knee would recover, and I wasn’t sure I could finish a marathon. 

“But I thought about it, and

it was an amazing opportunity and I’m so grateful to be able to do it.”  

Since then, the 36-year-old has had to overcome some

hurdles with his knee but has been a

ble to put together a consistent block of training to prepare for this weekend – some of that with a former GIANTS teammate.  

“About three months ago I had an operation on my knee because the joint wasn’t going particularly well. But since then I’ve managed to get a good 10 weeks of consistent training in and it’s going really well.  

“I’ve actually quite enjoyed the runs. I’ve been running three times a week and have been going pretty well, so I’m happy with how things have progressed. 

“[Former GIANT] Matt Buntine is a pretty good runner, so he’s joined me at least twice a week over the last couple of months. He’s been a great running partner.” 

Despite spending more than 20 years in football, Ward said running a marathon had never really been on his radar. 

“If I was ever going to do one, I thought it would be London or New York, to be honest,” he said. 

But while the opportunity to experience the famous New York course is an exciting bonus, Ward said supporting Rio’s Legacy remains his primary motivation. 

“The charity is the most important part of it for me, so being able to support Rio’s Legacy is a real win. I’m really passionate about what they do, and the opportunity to run the New York Marathon is a bonus.” 

Ward said learning about Rio’s story and the experiences of his family had left a lasting impression on him, particularly as a father himself.  

“Learning about Ryan’s story and understanding what he and his family went through really motivated me,” he said. 

“I’ve got three young children myself, and I couldn’t imagine going through something like that. I have so much respect for the family and the way they’ve approached everything.” 

Rio's Legacy is working towards a major goal: building a hospice in Western Sydney next year – Mounties Care Cottage- to provide further support for children and families who need it. 

For Ward, helping generate awareness for Rio’s Legacy and their ambitions is just as important as the kilometres he will cover on race day. 

“The need for children’s hospices is paramount,” he said. 

“If you put yourself in the shoes of the parents and families who go through these experiences, it’s not hard to understand why we need to help them as much as we can. 

“Every dollar counts, and all the awareness we can generate is really important.” 

Ward will not be making the journey to New York City alone. As well as his wife Ruby and a pair of close friends based in the states, there’ll be some similar faces along the course on Sunday.  

“I know some of the GIANTS boys in particular have planned around being there for the New York Marathon,” Ward said. 

“There’s Connor Idun, Brent Daniels, and Josh Kelly. Then former GIANT Adam Kennedy, and Jacob Hopper as well. And Leek Aleer might be there too.  

“There’s three or four spots they can get to [to watch] if they want to rush around and see me, so hopefully they can do that. 

“My wife Ruby and a couple of friends we have that live in the states will also be there, so it’ll be a big group of them which is exciting.   

“Having them there means a lot to me.” 

The GIANTS legend said their presence could prove particularly valuable in the closing stages of the race, when fatigue begins to take its toll. 

“I think their support will mean even more when I’m struggling around the 32-kilometre mark.  

“Being able to see them cheering me on will hopefully give me a bit of a boost when I need it most.” 

With the race fast approaching, Ward admitted the nerves have started to build, but he expects the occasion to be an emotional one for everyone involved. 

“I know Ryan is extremely excited and grateful that we can do this, and I’m sure we’ll all feel the same way,” he said. 

“It’s been a big build-up, and this has been a dream of Ryan’s for a long time. 

“Hopefully, there’ll be plenty of emotion at the finish line, too. I’m looking forward to seeing how we all go on the day. 

“I’m just really grateful to be part of it and to have the opportunity to support such an important cause.” 

While the marathon is a physical challenge for many runners, for Ward, the focus is firmly on the cause, helping raise awareness and funds for Rio’s Legacy as it works towards building more children’s hospices and supporting families facing the unimaginable challenges of a child’s life-limiting condition. 

Click here to donate to Rio’s Legacy.