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DROGHEDA has got its very own Forrest Gump, and he’s doing it all in a good cause!
Peter Browne has run the equivalent of a trip to Barcelona in the past seven months, pledging to complete at least a mile a day to raise funds for ABACAS.
And come rain, snow and even blistering heat, he will continue his daily run until St Stephen’s Day this year, exactly one year from when he started.
‘I’ve just passed the 200 days mark, and things are definitely easier now, and it’s just part of my daily routine,” says Peter, who hails from Queensboro, Baltray.
‘ There are certainly times when it might be physically or even mentally challenging to run, but so far, I haven’t missed a day, and have raised €650 out of my target of €1,000 for the local school for children with autism.’
Peter began his epic challenge at the annual Goal mile in St Fechin’s GAA pitch on December 26th and hasn’t looked back since. ‘ That was only a mile, but since then, I have completed Erin’s Run, the Drogheda 10k, the Clogherhead 10k, and a few more,’ he explains. ‘No matter how long or short a run, I make the effort, even when it can be more a challenge than I would like.’
And It’s not always tiredness that is the barrier!
‘It felt like the longest winter ever, and one day our house was completely snowbound, and my father had to clear one stretch for me, which I ran up and down on eight times,’ he says with a laugh.
‘Friends have also been great, encouraging me to put one foot in front of the other sometimes, so I don’t miss a day.’
Peter’s cousin Oisin (10) is his inspiration for Miles for ABACAS.
‘He was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and I just wanted to come up with some way to help,’ said Peter, who works in the National Sports Centre, Abbottstown.
‘So, I contacted Jacinta Walsh in ABACAS, and she said they would be delighted to get funding of any kind, as they get very few grants. I’m happy if any of my money raised can make a difference.’
If you would like to donate to Peter’s Miles for ABACAS challenge, visit www.idonate.ie/MilesForAbacas