MINDFUL WEST RUN FRIENDS GEARING UP FOR 240KM CYCLE FOR TWO CHARITIES
A GROUP of friends from Greystones is preparing for a run across Ireland from the Cove in their home town to Galway Bay, to raise money for Crumlin Children’s Hospital and A Lust for Life.
‘Mindful West’ will take place from April 2 to 4, with 16 men and women lacing up their running shoes to cross the country.
Organisers said that for now, the date remains in place but even if it has to be postponed, the event will occur.
‘Whilst running from the Irish Sea to the Atlantic may sound like a superhuman effort, in fact the magnitude is in recognition of the challenges faced every day by those dealing with mental health issues and the effects of childhood illness in our community,’ said Ross Thompson, one of the group.
The members have been running together regularly for some years, and have participated in events and challenges at home and abroad.
This year, they decided to run from one shore to the other on the island of Ireland.
‘Based upon the philosophy of taking things one step at a time, we will break down the 240km run into three days of manageable chunks of about 80km per day.
‘The entire route will be run, but each participant can choose their own challenge on a daily basis, i.e. 5km, 10km or even 80km. We hope to be joined on all or any of the days and at any stage by individuals or groups to run, walk or cycle for all or a part of the way.’
The aim of the run is to raise funds to support the ‘It’s Not the End of the World’ project being undertaken by A Lust for Life and for a range of support therapies offered to children facing serious illness by Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
Ross said that one of their reasons for picking A Lust for Life alongside Crumlin hospital, was the link between good mental health and physical exercise,
‘It’s all inclusive,’ he said. ‘Not everybody is able to do 80km a day for three days, if they want to come along and do 20, or maybe 10km twice a day, or whatever they’re able for, that’s great.’
He said that there will be supports in place for the runners doing every single kilometre of the route.
‘We are renting some camper vans and support vehicles and there will be lunch stops and food and water stops,’ said Ross. ‘Anyone who needs a rest can hop in the camper van.
‘A number of people will do maybe 15km in the morning, then in the afternoon be driving or on lunch duties.’
They all train together each week. ‘We have a WhatsApp group. Any day or morning someone can message to see if there is anyone about. There’s always someone ready and willing to go for a run. At weekends we do a longer run.’
He said that they are currently training nearly every day. ‘We want to train the body to be prepared for pain, endurance, and conditions.’
Ross said that they had intended to stay in B&Bs or rural hotels, but will more than likely revert back to the idea of hiring a number of camper vans. In that way, they will be self-sustained and isolated throughout their journey.
‘I couldn’t think of a safer place to be than outdoors,’ said Ross. The group will make a decision in the coming weeks regarding whether or not to postpone.
Their sponsors include Sisk construction, Microsoft and Kambukka water bottles. All funds will go directly to the charities.
Donations can be made at idonate.ie under MindfulWest Run. So far, they have raised over €11,000 of their €20,000 target.
‘We are delighted with the support and enthusiasm,’ said Ross.
A Lust for Life is an award winning Irish well-being movement created to transform how we talk about and treat mental health.
They use multi-media content, campaigns and events to empower, equip and facilitate children and young people to mind their own mental health and well-being.
Their initiative ‘Its Not the End of the World’ is a series to help secondary school exam students with their mental health in the lead up to Junior and Leaving Cert exams.
The objective is to create a peer-to-peer conversation around exams being ‘not the end of the world’ by sharing personal experiences and helpful expert advice.
Meanwhile, childhood illness in all its forms is persistent, indiscriminate and often devastating.
Many of the children that pass through the doors of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin (CHI Crumlin) have rare and complex conditions that are life-limiting or life-threatening.
When a child is up against a chronic illness or disease, it’s not a fair fight. It will take their smiles, their innocence, their health, their precious family moments, their fun and sometimes, even their young lives.
CMRF Crumlin are dedicated to supporting these children right across their patient journey, by providing the wraparound and holistic supports which create brighter days for sick children.
As a part of this they offer these children complementary therapies, including music therapy that helps sick children reach their social, emotional, cognitive and physical goals.
They also offer adolescent play services for children with cancer. These therapies are dedicated to improving the patient experience for those children who will battle acute illness from their first breath.
The Holistic Therapy Programme is committed to offering these children a moment of respite in their long battle with ill-health.
‘We are just a bunch of regular dads with children from toddlers to teenagers,’ said Ross. ‘The Greystones to Galway run is our effort to help these worthy charities, which have and will help us and our families.’