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Patrick Daly from Tralee in front of the Jeanie Johnston in Dublin. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
AN Oakpark man has started a series of tough challenges to raise funds for a Tralee woman’s orphanage project in Africa.
Patrick Daly from Derrylea completed the Ring of Kerry Cycle at the weekend, but that’s only the beginning.
In the next few months he will take on the ‘Tough Mudder’ challenge, Pulse Aquathlon, Tri Kingdom Come, Ironman Dublin 70.3, the Glendalough National Swim and finally the Ironman Italy Emilia-Romagna.
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What’s amazing about this, is the fact that Patrick — a 31 year old who works for JP Morgan Finance in Dublin — is trying to get over a fear of water and has just recently taken up swimming.
Louise Quill.
It’s all in aid of the Tir na nOg Orphanage in Boma nGombe, Tanzania which was set up by Ashgrove woman, Louise Quill, in 2006. The Orphanage caters for over 30 children in one of the poorest countries in the world.
Patrick has set up a gofundme page with a target of €3,000 to raise for the great cause. He’s already halfway there. Check out the gofundme page here.
So why take on such a schedule of gruelling challenges?
“I had a fear of the water so I asked for swimming lessons from my brother for Christmas and the goals I set myself were as high as I could think of,” said Patrick.
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“I wasn’t able to do a length of the pool. Being a fairly determined person I decided that I’d compete in some triathalons. I’m a decent long distant runner but nothing amazing. The only event I’ve competed in was the Dublin City Marathon two years ago. I never cycled since school except the very rare time. I knew I had the determination to put in seven hours or so a day at the weekend learning to swim and naturally I’m a stubborn, strong athlete,” said Patrick, a former CBS the Green student, who studied Law in UCC.
“I started first by doing my swimming lessons, doing the 100km route of the Wicklow 200 and the Tri Athy (a 250 metre swim downstream, 20 km cycle and a 5 km run).
I decided to ramp up the difficulty levels with the events which culminate in an IronMan in Italy, 4km swim in the open sea, 180 km cycle around Italy and a full marathon, all in the one event.
The three biggest are the Dublin half Iron Man, another event for me that will be very challenging is a 4km lake swim in Glendalough and obviously the Full Iron Man in Italy,” he said.
Patrick is doing all this at enormous financial cost to himself, but he says it’s worth it if he can raise funds for the orphanage.
“I really hope that you will support me by donating to this brilliant charity, giving children a new lease on life and a huge oppurtunity of a better future for themselves,” he said.
To find out more about Tír na nOg, watch the video below and here’s the link again to the gofundme page
