Sligo University Hospital general nurse to cycle 23,000 kilometres for a good cause
A GENERAL nurse who works in Sligo University Hospital is undertaking a 23,000 kilometre cycle for a good cause.
25-year-old Fergal Guihen from Arigna, Co. Roscommon will cycle from Roscommon to Australia, taking a total of 11 months to complete the challenge.
Fergal, a general nurse in Sligo General Hospital, will leave Roscommon in early March and will reach Australia in February of 2025. In the process, he’s raising funds for a local charity, Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation.
Fergal, who worked in St James’ Hospital, Trinity College and now in Sligo General Hospital’s emergency department, will average 100KM a day on his trip taking in 25 countries and three continents. He’s hoping to finish the trip at the iconic Sydney Opera House. In his spare time, Fergal is a parttime farmer, plays GAA for St Ronan’s and enjoys running.
Fergal said: “I decided to do this trip as a lot of my friends and colleagues are either gone or are heading off to Australia for two years. Instead of spending two years in Australia I thought why not cycle there as it’s a great opportunity to see the world and then spend a year in Australia. This challenge is no doubt going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. The longest cycling trip I’ve done was about two weeks long so this is certainly going to be very different but I’m very much looking forward to it. I’ll be doing a lot of trip by myself but friends will join me across Europe.
“I’m funding the trip myself and will live a very minimalistic life. I’ll be bringing my tent and hot stove with me. I had a thought that I may as well incorporate a fundraising element into it, so I’ve chosen a charity local to me, the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, as I want to give back to my local community.
“The Foundation provides vital palliative care services to the communities of Mayo and Roscommon and my great-granny benefitted from those services in Roscommon.”
If you are interested in making a donation to Fergal’s cause, you can do so online by visiting www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/Rossie-to-Aussie.