Marathon effort by Vikings boss Brian boosted charity
A WIDNES Vikings chief who took part in this year’s Great North Run in a bid to raise £18,0000 for charity is a nominee for the Person category.
Director Brian O’Connor represented the Vikings in the largest half marathon event in the world over the weekend to raise further funding for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
It continued the fundraising efforts by the Vikings which has led to the club raising more than £80,000 for the good cause in the past three years.
Before the event, Brian said: “Obviously, we have formed a strong relationship with the foundation over the past three years and both the club and our fantastic supporters have raised a huge amount of money to support their work.
“I was asked by Lady Elsie Robson at this year’s Magic Weekend if I would consider taking part in the Great North Run and joining the Foundation team.
Running was never something that I enjoyed and carrying a 16-and-a-half stone frame over a 13-mile distance didn’t exactly sound appealing, but I felt that it would be poor form to say no to the invite! This year has obviously had its challenges and to some extent, training each evening has helped to relieve a lot of the day to day stresses of working in such a ● performance driven environment.
“Although, for every pound raised in sponsorship, I think I have matched that on clothes as I appear to be leaving a couple of kilo’s on the tarmac!
Brian set a target sponsorship figure of £18,000, which would mean the total raised by the Vikings for the charity would top £100,000 and what the Vikings director said would be an ‘absolutely incredible achievement’.
He said: “I knew when I set this figure that it was going to be a tough ask, but I am a great believer in thinking big.
“At the end of the day, every penny helps and any figure raised by the initiative will help the foundation in their efforts to treat and fight cancer.
“I don’t think that there are many people who have not encountered cancer at some point of their lives, whether personally or have had loved ones who have been affected.
“It is a cruel disease and can strike anybody at any time so whilst I am ‘nearly’ young enough and ‘almost’ fit enough, I want to play my part in the fight against cancer.”
To make a donation to help Brian achieve his fundraising target visit justgiving.com/fundraising/briano