Jackie to represent the ‘Women With Impact’ campaign at mini marathon
Tallanstown woman Jackie Brennan is set to represent Louth in the #WomenwithImpact campaign at the VHI Ladies Mini Marathon.
Over 30,000 women are expected to walk, jog and run the 10K route in Dublin, starting in Fitzwilliam Square and finishing on Baggot St.
Among the thousands of women taking part in this year’s event is Jackie Brennan from Tallanstown, Dundalk, who is representing her county as part of the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon’s #WomenwithImpact campaign.
The campaign is celebrating women throughout the country who have made an impact on lives in their local community.
Jackie is a long time supporter of the event, and has taken part in the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon for over 25 years. When her son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, she joined the local branch, which raises money to provide equipment, pay for private physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other treatments for children. At the time a group of her family and friends decided they would walk the Mini Marathon and haven’t stopped since!
Taking part in the event is now an annual local women’s day out, with between 30 and 50 women aged between 18 and 65 travelling to Dublin for the day, and as Jackie says: ‘We never expected to have such a great day and to raise money as well felt like such a bonus.’
The group now also raises money for the Ardee Hospice, after her father was diagnosed with cancer, as the hospice provided her family with a lot of help. They now try to raise between €3000 and €4000 every year for these two very worthy causes.
Jackie says: ‘When you get to the finishing line there’s no achievement like it especially as a lot of us are over 50. My own sister Marie has walked it from year one and as she battled her cancer she came on the bus to support us and has managed to walk it again the last two years and is an inspiration to us all.’
For all the women out there that have ever registered for the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon, give it a go.’
When you walk around reading all the t-shirts ahead of you and realise all the charities that are benefiting from such a great day out, it makes you feel so proud. My 3 sisters & 2 sisters in law do it with me. My friend’s seven sisters do it with us as well. In all our years doing the Mini Marathon we have raised between €40,000-€50,000. This is from a wee village of women having a great day out.’