My name is Seán and I'm a 21-year-old Irish filmmaker from Wicklow. I'm delighted to share that on October 26th, I'll be taking part in the Dublin Marathon, which will be my first marathon.

As part of this challenge, I am trying to raise €2000 for two charities providing vital support for people: the Julian Benson Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Medical Aid For Palestinians. The final amount raised will be split evenly between these two charities.

Julian Benson was a close friend of mine, and a real life superhero. He fought Cystic Fibrosis his entire life, but never let it define him, leading a successful career in the arts and in the media right through to the end. He passed away in April of this year at only 54, but leaves behind a phenomenal legacy through both his life and his foundation, which provides support for people with Cystic Fibrosis across Ireland in the most ambitious ways.

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) is a charity providing vital, life-saving medical support for the people of Palestine. Not all aid is currently being let into Gaza, and so raising funds for aid can feel futile. Regardless, this still feels like the most effective way to support the people of Palestine as they suffer the humanitarian disaster that they are being put through. I have no direct affiliation with MAP, however I have strongly admired their continued support of the Palestinian people over the last number of years.

Any donation, big or small, will make a massive difference in helping me reach my target of €2000. After my marathon, the final figure will be split evenly in two, and I will be donating both amounts donated to the relative charities via their online donation services.

Thank you for your time in reading this, and I hope you'll consider supporting me on this journey. In the meantime, I'll keep training towards the big day. Go raibh míle <3