Connacht Tribune

Camogie officer’s marathon challenge in memory of sibling

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Running the equivalent distance of a return trip from Loughrea to Croke Park as part of Galway Camogie’s Lockdown Challenge 2020, a Galway Camogie Board officer is hoping the memory of his late sister – who sadly passed away earlier this year – will see him through.

Ballymacward’s Brian Griffin commenced the challenge on Monday. Over 40 days he aims to run up to 10km a day until the distance of 380 kilometres is completed by the deadline date of Friday, December 11.

His efforts will raise money for Galway Camogie and Galway Hospice, the latter of which will receive 20% of all proceeds gathered through the multiple events taking place as part of Galway Camogie’s Lockdown Challenge.

It’s a huge undertaking for Galway Camogie’s Development Officer, but he is hoping his passion for camogie and the memory of his late sister Janette Griffin, Ballyglunin, will inspire him to deliver on his goal.

“My sister passed away earlier this year from cancer,” says Brian. “She was 48 when she died, two weeks short of her 49th birthday. In November of last year, she was diagnosed and she passed away on May 13 this year. She had three boys.

“She was in the Hospice there for a good few months. So, it is important for me to try and give something back. I suppose, when I’m out running, she might carry me along as well,” he says.

Brian and his fellow County Board officers had been discussing possible fundraisers for Galway Camogie before the current lockdown came. It was this that prompted the 40-day Lockdown Challenge.

“The idea is that we will get as many people to register and do a challenge and raise what they can for ourselves and Galway Hospice,” outlines Brian. “There are a lot of people interested and we’ve reached out to a lot of clubs. So, we are pushing it far and wide to get as many people involved.”

Some of the challenges undertaken around the county are: 5km or 10km a day for 40 days; walking the distance to Croke Park and back; walking 15,000 steps a day for 40 days; doing 100 burpees each day until December 11; and doing a virtual solo relay around Ireland.

“We would love people to come up with their own ideas that are totally different, out of the ordinary,” says Brian. “I know there is a woman in Athenry, Cathy Dillon, who is cycling virtually from Athenry pitch to every hurling and camogie pitch in Galway. So, that comes to about 500 kilometres for her to cycle.

“So, challenges like that. Others might just climb Croagh Patrick, doing as little as 800 metres a day. No challenge is too big or too small. The main thing is that you log in your challenge. You have to be seen to be doing it.”

Each challenge can be undertaken individually or as a team – so long as there is social distancing. Once the challenge is logged with Galway Camogie, each participant will be sent the link to the iDonate page. Each challenge must be tracked. For instance, Map My Run or Strava can use used to monitor kilometres while, for something like burpees, a video of each daily task must be recorded.

As Brian notes that the more people who get involved, the more “craic” it will be. He encourages as many as possible to do so. “Also, I think, in the lockdown, it is good for people to stay engaged. You can kind of get down in the dumps looking out the window for five or six weeks.

“So, it is important for people’s mental health as well to be involved in something like this, to be part of a group. If you were sitting at home on our own, you could kind of get bogged down.”

All going well, the energy the Lockdown Challenge will generate will feed into Galway camogie’s senior team as they bid to win back-to-back All-Ireland titles under manager Cathal Murray. Griffin agrees.

“As we know, all sporting organisations are stuck for money at this time. So, it is important that we get behind those girls as well. It would be brilliant if they could do it again this year. It is a big challenge for them and we have to back them.”

As for Griffin, himself, he has already embraced his own mammoth challenge. “I have registered now so there is no getting out of it,” he laughs.

“The money raised, though, will help to continue the good work both Galway Camogie and Galway Hospice are doing on the ground. If every club could put in a challenge, it would be great.”

(Photo: Camogie stars Sarah Dervan, Niamh Kilkenny and Emma Helebert promoting Galway Camogie’s Lockdown Challenge 2020, which got underway this week).

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