GRAINNE’S SECRET SANTA RUN FOR MUM
5K event remembers Josephine
Dundalk woman Grianne Hearty is planning a Secret Santa 5km fun run in memory of her late mother Josephine, who donated hundreds of Christmas presents to needy children down the years.
As the winner of Mizu’s Operation Transformation, Grainne has spent the past month making big changes to her lifestyle, including fitness training at Oak Gym, dietary advice from Rachel Graham Nutrition, self-defence, safety and warrior mindset training with Krav Maga Systems Ireland.
She has also organised weekend walks from St Helena and decided to organise the 5km fun run on December 1 at the end of the challenge in memory of her mother Josephine who died during the summer.
‘For the past number of years, my mother had acted as a Secret Santa to children in town who otherwise might not have got Christmas presents,’ explains Grainne, who is also well known for her work with local community groups and sports clubs.
‘So instead of asking people for a registration fee for the 5km, I am asking them for a Santa gift which they can bring with them at the start of the race. We have got permission from The Marshes for people to leave the gifts at the Christmas tree facing the Ramparts Road and we will then see that they are distributed to needy children to ensure that they get a gift.’
‘Josephine’s Secret Santa Run’ will follow the same route as the Fitzer 5km which takes place each February.
‘It’s a 5km fun run/walk for all ages and all levels of fitness, so all runners, joggers and walkers are welcome to come along,’ says Grainne.
She hopes that people will were Santa hats and suits or fancy dress to make it a fun event.
Grainne says she is delighted with the progress she is making on her challenge, saying that while the exercising is hard, she is also getting plenty of treats.
She was named as the winner of the competition hosted by Mizu, which came with a fantastic €5,000 prize package after being nominated by a family friend. Grainne and her husband Alan Coburn had spent 41 days beside their son Odhran’s hospital bed after he fell ill when attending a music festival. She says that they consider his recovery to be ‘a miracle’ and that they realise that they are very fortunate to still have him with them, as the tablet he took contained rat poison.