Cork City Marathon, Skibbereen Half Marathon, Carrauntoohil

I am running the Cork City Marathon on Sunday 1st June, the Skibbereen half marathon on Sunday 13th July, and, in between those days I will also be climbing Carrauntoohil, all in memory of my sister Helen.

Helen suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) which affected her immensely, but Helen being Helen, fought it like a trooper, never letting it get the better of her and always putting a positive spin on things. I know she was frustrated at times, but Helen always had the opinion that there were others worse off than her, she always put others first even to the detriment of her own health.

Helen is my sister, I knew her my entire life, she was five years older than me, she always helped me out, especially when I was a bit of a pain (possibly an understatement), but she was always there. We had laughs, we had long chats, we had arguments, we had tears, so the usual brother and sister relationship.

Rheumatoid Arthritis affects around 1% of the population in the UK and Ireland, that's approximately 500,000 individuals living with RA. Finding a cure, or even easing the pain, is paramount to those that suffer from the disease and I would like to raise as much money as possible for the two charities but also in memory of my Big Sister! I want to do Helen proud! It's going to be a struggle but I know I'll make it. If you're around in Cork City on Sunday, please give me a big wave as I'll need every ounce of support.

Thank you for reading and a bigger thank you if you donate.