It’s been a few weeks since we lost our mom. The last two months have been the hardest of our lives. Grief changes you in ways you never expect. Some days, simply getting out of bed is impossible. Through all of it, training has given me something to hold on to. It hasn’t taken the pain away, but it’s helped me keep put one foot in front of the other, one day at a time.

I’ve decided to do Alpha’s HYROX Simulation at Páirc Ui Chaoimh in September to raise money for the Irish Heart Foundation.

Many people don’t realise that the Irish Heart Foundation is also Ireland’s leading charity supporting people affected by stroke. They provide support for stroke survivors and their families, while also funding prevention, education and research.

Stroke has changed my family’s life forever. The Irish Heart Foundation supported my dad after his stroke, and after losing my mom, supporting this charity is so important to us.

But this fundraiser isn’t only about my family.

It’s for every family whose world has changed in a moment.

For every survivor learning to rebuild their life.

For every son, daughter, mum, dad, partner, grandparent and friend who has had to watch someone they love fight through the loss & aftermath of a stroke.

None of us ever expect it to happen to the people we love.

Every training session from now until race day has a purpose. Every early morning, every run, every lift, every step is towards helping families who are walking a road no one ever wants to walk.

If you’re able to donate, share this fundraiser or simply follow the journey, I would be so grateful. Every euro raised will help the Irish Heart Foundation continue supporting stroke survivors, their families and the vital work they do every single day.

Over the last two months, so many of you have carried me through some of the darkest days of my life. Every message, every hug, every kind word, every person who simply checked in—it has reminded me that none of us have to face life’s hardest moments alone.

Let’s turn heartbreak into hope.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of this journey. I will do my Mom proud x