Galway quartet pedal Mizen to Malin in three days for cancer charity
A team of four Galway women achieved a lifelong dream last weekend by cycling Ireland end to end, from Mizen Head to Malin Head, in just three days – in support of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute at NUIG.
Ann Burke, Niamh Lawless, Aine McGuinness and Sarah Smith Killeen covered just under 200km per day in ideal weather conditions and arrived at Malin Head on the Inishowen peninsula on Sunday afternoon.
Following months of meticulous planning and a tough training regime, the fab four completed the iconic bike ride and have also managed to raise over €14,000 for breast cancer research.
Reflecting on the weekend, Craughwell's Aine McGuinness said that having an experienced support team was crucial.
"We were really fortunate to have an excellent support team with us, people who are experienced in managing and participating in long distance cycling events,” she said.
“They watched over us. They fed us, they massaged tired muscles, they looked after every aspect of our welfare and for that we will always be grateful to Enda Burke, Ciaran Cannon, Martina Kingsland and Paul O'Connor.
“When you undertake an endurance event like Mizen to Malin, you must be able to concentrate on one thing only, cycling your bike and getting safely to the end of each day. Our support team made that possible,” added Aine.
Portumna's Sarah Smith Killeen said that the fundraising element of the event was a very special aspect of the weekend, and that the team are deeply grateful to all those who supported them.
"While our journey over three days was a tough one it pales in comparison to the challenges faced by women diagnosed with breast cancer,” she said.
“Every one of us knows so many friends and relatives who have been given that devastating news and we thought of each and every one of them as we made our way along the road each day. They were with us in our hearts and gave us the courage to keep going.
“We are deeply grateful to everyone who dug deep to support our fundraising and it's wonderful to think that we have raised over €14,000 for research into the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer,” added Sarah.
Ann Burke, a member of the Loughrea based Seven Springs Cycling Club, said that the event was made all the more special when club members from Seven Springs CC and Portumna Cycling Club took the time to cycle alongside the four women.
"To have our friends join us on the ride from Limerick onwards was a very special aspect of the challenge, a really welcome morale boost. They chatted, they encouraged and with them there, the miles just seemed to fly by,” she said.
“That friendship and support is a very important aspect of being a member of your local cycling club, and the people who took the time to join us made a major contribution to our success. We're so grateful to them for being there.”
Carrabane's Niamh Lawless, who came up with the idea of a women's team taking on the Mizen Malin challenge, said that she couldn't be happier with the outcome and encouraged other women to consider taking on similar challenges.
"The four of us made memories and friendships to last a lifetime this weekend. When you complete a challenge like that with three other women, there's a bond formed that can never be broken. We also cycled in solidarity with women who are facing the challenge of breast cancer right now, we hope that our fundraising will make some difference to them and to others in the future,” she said.
“The four of us are not exactly young women, we're all in our forties and fifties, and if I've learned anything this week, it's that it's never too late to do something special with friends. We're all capable of much more than we might think.”
And the quartet are still accepting donations HERE